a short distance from the palace, and you can then
issue out by the garden gate, unobserved. I shall, of course,
myself escort you."

"What shall we take with us, Cuitcatl?"

"I will get, in addition to those who carry the litters, five or
six porters. These I will bring up through the gardens to the
private door, and Roger and I will carry down to them such parcels
of your clothes as you may make up. I should then make up two large
caskets with your own jewels, those of Cacama, and some of the most
valuable stones and jewels from the royal treasury--leaving all the
royal ornaments worn on state occasions, so that the usurper will
not know that any have been abstracted."

"I would rather take nothing but my own and Cacama's personal
jewels," the queen said.

"The contents of the whole treasury are his, by rights; and you
must remember, Madam, that jewels may be very useful to you. You
will have to work for Cacama, and unhappily there are many who are
not insensible to bribes; and the possession of valuable jewels may
enable you to be of great assistance to the king."

"I did not think of that," the queen said. "Yes, you are right.
There is a hoard stowed away by the late king, and by his father
before him. Its existence is only known to my husband and myself. I
have never seen it, but Cacama tells me that it is of immense
value; and was to be used only in case of an extreme emergency, and
danger to the state. We can take what we choose from this separate
hoard, and Cuicuitzca will find, from the list in the hands of the
chief of the treasury, that the royal store is untouched."

"That will be vastly better, indeed," Cuitcatl said. "It is well
that he should have no possible cause of complaint against you.
Where is this hidden receptacle?"

"Before I show it you, I will send all our attendants to bed, save
the two we will take with us--my own maid, and Amenche's."

"I will be going. Roger Hawkshaw will help you," Cuitcatl said. "It
will take some time for Bathalda to get the litters and the men.

"It is now ten o'clock. In three hours the litters shall be outside
the little gate of the garden, and I will bring six porters to the
private door at the foot of the stairs."

"That will be enough," the queen said. "Two will be ample for our
garments, and you and Roger Hawkshaw can take the jewels; which,
when we start, can go in the litters with us."

Cuitcatl left. The two ladies who were to accompany the party