y would have fared better with a wildcat.

Tiburcio and Lopez went alone. They stopped before the covered thing
near the church door.

"So," mused the colonel, "she ended it _this_ way."

"From the tower," Tiburcio grimly added.

"His----"

"Well, say it. You mean His Majesty?"

"His Majesty need know nothing of the--of the finale."

"Who is there to tell him, por Dios? I won't. You won't."

"But you forget a third, Don Tiburcio. I mean the man who was with you
several evenings ago, when you----"

"When I was carrying off the padre's sweetheart?"

"When somehow you two happened in this desolate neighborhood. Since you
took his name out of my mouth just now, you must have recognized that it
was His Majesty whom you saw talking to her almost where she now lies. I
was near by, guarding his privacy, but you both escaped before I could
stop you. Now then, who was that other intruder?"

The other was Rodrigo Galan, but Tiburcio replied, "The other will not
have much to say. Poor Captain Maurel!"

"Bueno, bueno!"

"Not yet, mi coronel. Only we two know of Maximilian's part in this, but
we must keep it from her father above all others. I am a loyal
Imperialist, Don Miguel."

"What difference does that make?"

"The Empire faces a crisis."

The royal favorite started guiltily. Since the news of the Confederacy's
surrender, Lopez's ambitions were clouded by a growing fear of the
fugitive Mexican republic. The Republic would have a good memory for
royal favorites, and he had been thinking on it. "Will Lee's surrender
make such--such a difference?" he faltered.

"So much," retorted Tiburcio, "that to-morrow we will have more rebels
yet. So much, that what with freeing peons and confiscating nationalized
church lands and giving them back to the church--well, a very little
more might decide between Empire and Republic."

"A little more? What do you mean?"

"I mean money for the rebels. Luz's father is rich. If he knew that
Maximilian----"

"Hombre, hombre, he's a miser!"

"Just the same, I'm a loyal Imperialist, and if you are, too, you will
take good care to tell nothing to Don Anastasio."

"You forget, senor, that I am the one to say that to you."

"Then don't forget, Colonel Lopez. Do not forget that she fell, that it
was a simple accident."

"Yes, a simple accident. Wait here, I am going to bring her father."

On returning Lopez sent the guards away, and he and Murguia were alone
together. The old