rough, rude men. It would not be
safe for you to move about. They are not trained servants; they are
brutal and fierce. If you went among them you would be exposed to
insult."

"My attendant comes and goes," said Katie; "she is not insulted. Why
may I not be at least as free as she is?"

"Because," said Lopez, "you are a lady; she is only a common woman.
Things would be insults to you which she only laughs at. I cannot
allow you to expose yourself to the brutal ribaldry of the ruffians
below. If a father had his daughter here, he would lock her up, as I
do you, out of affection."

At this Katie turned her head away, with the air of one who was
utterly incredulous, and felt the uselessness of argument.

Lopez was silent for a few moments. Then he went on.

[Illustration: "She Sat With Clasped Hands And Bowed Head."]

"Listen," said he, "and see if you have reason to be angry with me.
Let me tell you some little of what I have done. But for me, you
would still be a prisoner in the hands of a remorseless villain, a
common brigand. Listen to me, I entreat you, and then tell me if you
are right in blaming me. As soon as I was freed I hurried on to
Vittoria, the nearest military station. I had but one idea--the
rescue of you from the hands of those villains. At Vittoria, after
incredible effort, I succeeded in getting a detachment of men from
the commandant. With these I set forth on the following morning,
trying to find my way to you. It was an almost impossible task. The
country, never thickly inhabited, was literally deserted. I could
find no one to ask, and could find no trace of your captors anywhere.
I did, however, what I could, and sought everywhere most painfully
and perseveringly. At length, just as I was beginning to despair,
chance--the merest chance--threw in my way a couple of fugitives.
These, fortunately, were able to give me the information I wanted.
One of them knew all about this castle, and knew that you were here.
With this help I was able to find my way here. And now I was once
more favored by the merest chance. Had I tried to capture the place
in a regular fashion I should have been driven back, for this castle
is impregnable, except to artillery; but my guide knew of a
subterranean passage-way, and guided me through this into the
court-yard. Once here, I found all the men in a careless condition,
and made a rush upon them before they could get their arms. Over and
over again I risked my li