ith ill-humor.
"What have we to do with him? The courtship with Dona Rosario ended as
it was bound to end, and now there is nothing for it but for my mother
to marry them. That is my opinion."

"You are a fool!" said Remedios angrily.

"Senora, I am going."

"Why, you rude man, are you going to leave me alone in the street?"

"Yes, senora, unless you go home at once."

"That's right--leave me alone, exposed to be insulted! Listen to me,
Senor Ramos. Don Jose will come out of the Casino in a moment, as usual.
I want to see whether he goes into his hotel or goes past it. It is a
fancy of mine, only a fancy."

"What I know is that I have something to do, and that it is near twelve
o'clock."

"Silence!" said Remedios. "Let us hide ourselves around the corner. A
man is coming down the Calle de la Triperia Alta. It is he!"

"Don Jose! I know him by his walk."

"Let us follow him," said Maria Remedios with anxiety. "Let us follow
him at a little distance, Ramos."

"Senora--"

"Only a minute, then, Dona Remedios. After that I must go."

They walked on about thirty paces, keeping at a moderate distance behind
the man they were watching. The Penitentiary's niece stopped then and
said:

"He is not going into his hotel."

"He may be going to the brigadier's."

"The brigadier lives up the street, and Don Pepe is going down in the
direction of the senora's house."

"Of the senora's house!" exclaimed Caballuco, quickening his steps.

But they were mistaken. The man whom they were watching passed the house
of Polentinos and walked on.

"Do you see that you were wrong?"

"Senor Ramos, let us follow him!" said Remedios, pressing the Centaur's
hand convulsively. "I have a foreboding."

"We shall soon know, for we are near the end of the town."

"Don't go so fast--he may see us. It is as I thought, Senor Ramos; he is
going into the garden by the condemned door."

"Senora, you have lost your senses!"

"Come on, and we shall see."

The night was dark, and the watchers could not tell precisely at what
point Senor de Rey had entered; but a grating of rusty hinges which they
heard, and the circumstance of not meeting the young man in the whole
length of the garden wall, convinced them that he had entered the
garden. Caballuco looked at his companion with stupefaction. He seemed
bewildered.

"What are you thinking about? Do you still doubt?"

"What ought I to do?" asked the bravo, covered with confusion. "Shall