"

Struck by the wild and hurried manner of his friend, and by the
discomposure manifest in his features, Mariano took his arm, and walking
with him down the long corridor, which was dimly lighted by lanterns
suspended against the wall, led him into his own room. "The general is
particularly engaged," said he, "and I cannot venture to disturb him;
but in five minutes I will inform him of your arrival. Meanwhile, what
is the matter, Luis? What has happened thus to agitate you?"

Although chafing at the delay, Herrera could not refuse to reply to this
enquiry; and, in hurried and confused terms, he informed Torres of the
news brought by Paco, and of the plan he had devised for the rescue of
Rita. Thunderstruck at the temerity of the project, Torres undertook,
but at first with small success, to convince Herrera of its
impracticability, and induce him to abandon it, at least for the time.

"How can you possibly expect," he said, "ever to reach the convent you
have described to me? In front is the Carlist army; on all sides you
will meet bands of armed peasants, and you will throw away your own life
without a chance of accomplishing your object."

"Don't speak to me of life!" exclaimed Herrera, impetuously interrupting
him; "it is valueless. Spare yourself the trouble of argument; all that
you can urge will be in vain. Come what may, and at any risk, I will
make the attempt. Every hour is a year of torture to me whilst I know
Rita in the power of that villain."

"And much good it will do her," replied Torres, "to have you killed in
her service. As to accomplishing her rescue, it is out of the question
in the way you propose. You will inevitably be shot or taken prisoner.
If, on the contrary, you have a little patience, and wait a few days,
something may be done. This Don Baltasar, there can scarcely be a doubt,
is with the army in our front, and his prisoner must therefore be free
from his persecutions. Besides, admitting that your project had a shadow
of common sense, how can you suppose, that on the eve of a battle
against superior numbers, the general will spare even a score of men
from the ranks of his army?"

"He _will_ spare them, for me," cried Herrera. "He has known me since
the beginning of the war: I have fought by his side; and more than once
he has thanked me for my services, and expressed his willingness to
reward them. Let him grant me this request, and I will die for him
to-morrow."

"You would be lik