own
story first.

He was right. Lopez had been very busy, but Rita was able, after all,
to obtain a hearing from him sufficiently long to enable her to plead
her cause in her own way.

She told Lopez all.

Now Lopez was under great obligations to Rita, and was willing to do
almost anything for her. At the same time, he was the bitter enemy of
Russell. Here there was an opportunity open to him to evince
gratitude and to obtain vengeance. He appreciated the situation most
fully. He promised Rita that he would do whatever she wished.

"I only wish one thing," said Rita: "make him keep his promise."

"I will," said Lopez.

"Will you make him marry me?"

"I will," said Lopez. "I have a priest here. I have brought him here,
for I expect to be married myself to a lady whom I have long loved in
vain. I have rescued her from these foul brigands, and she will not
now refuse me. And I promise, Rita, that you shall be married to your
dear one at the same time that I am married to mine, and by the same
priest."

Upon this Rita was voluble in the expression of her gratitude.

Lopez now went to seek out Russell. He found the good man wearied and
worn out. He led him away to a room that happened to be the very one
in which he was confined before. Brooke and Talbot were both here.
Russell entreated Brooke to intercede for him with Lopez. Lopez saw
the action and understood it.

"What does he want?" said Lopez.

Russell then explained, through Brooke, what Lopez had already
learned through Rita, namely, that he was Mr. Russell, and that Rita
was claiming his fulfilment of a promise which he had never made, and
could never fulfil--first, on the ground that Rita had not freed him;
and, secondly, on the more important ground that he was already
married.

To all this the answer of Lopez was brief and stern.

"She did free you," said he, "for you are now out of the power of the
Carlists, and may be your own master on the performance of your
promise. Moreover, as to your being married already, Rita assures me
that your former wife is dead."

At this Russell groaned.

"She is not dead," he said.

"Oh, well," said Lopez, "I don't care. Rita is willing to run the
risk."

Russell now pleaded for Katie's sake.

But this roused Lopez to worse anger.

"If you were merely a cruel father," said he, "I would forgive you
for her sake; but you are a guardian, and not over-honest, as I
believe. She has no love for you. She never