k, Miss Trail!, tell her whether I've
cause to be peremptory."

"Yes, yes," the girl cried, shuddering. "Do as he says--Oh, for pity's
sake, Arabella."

Miss Bishop went off, leaving Mr. Blood and Miss Traill alone again.

"I... I shall never forget what you did, sir," said she, through her
diminishing tears. She was a slight wisp of a girl, a child, no more.

"I've done better things in my time. That's why I'm here," said Mr.
Blood, whose mood seemed to be snappy.

She didn't pretend to understand him, and she didn't make the attempt.

"Did you... did you kill him?" she asked, fearfully.

He stared at her in the flickering candlelight. "I hope so. It is very
probable, and it doesn't matter at all," he said. "What matters is that
this fellow James should fetch the horses." And he was stamping off to
accelerate these preparations for departure, when her voice arrested
him.

"Don't leave me! Don't leave me here alone!" she cried in terror.

He paused. He turned and came slowly back. Standing above her he smiled
upon her.

"There, there! You've no cause for alarm. It's all over now. You'll be
away soon--away to Speightstown, where you'll be quite safe."

The horses came at last--four of them, for in addition to James who was
to act as her guide, Miss Bishop had her woman, who was not to be left
behind.

Mr. Blood lifted the slight weight of Mary Traill to her horse, then
turned to say good-bye to Miss Bishop, who was already mounted. He
said it, and seemed to have something to add. But whatever it was, it
remained unspoken. The horses started, and receded into the sapphire
starlit night, leaving him standing there before Colonel Bishop's door.
The last he heard of them was Mary Traill's childlike voice calling back
on a quavering note--

"I shall never forget what you did, Mr. Blood. I shall never forget."

But as it was not the voice he desired to hear, the assurance brought
him little satisfaction. He stood there in the dark watching the
fireflies amid the rhododendrons, till the hoofbeats had faded. Then he
sighed and roused himself. He had much to do. His journey into the town
had not been one of idle curiosity to see how the Spaniards conducted
themselves in victory. It had been inspired by a very different purpose,
and he had gained in the course of it all the information he desired. He
had an extremely busy night before him, and must be moving.

He went off briskly in the direction of the stockade,