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of　the　priest　as　she　answered　gravely；



〃I　believe　so。　　But　I　cannot　see　what　that　has　to　do　with　the

detention　of　the　others。〃



〃Much；　perhaps。　　It　has　been　said　that　you　alone；　my　child；　were　in

the　confidence　of　this　man。〃



〃Who　dared　say　that？〃　exclaimed　Miss　Keene　in　English；　forgetting

herself　in　her　indignation。



〃If　it's　anything　meanit's　Mrs。　Brimmer；　I'll　bet　a　cooky；〃　said

Mrs。　Markham；　whose　linguistic　deficiencies　had　debarred　her　from

the　previous　conversation。



〃You　have　only；〃　continued　the　priest；　without　noticing　the

interruption；　〃to　tell　us　what　you　know　of　this　Hurlstone's　plans；

of　his　complicity　with　Senor　Perkins；　or；〃　he　added　significantly；

〃his　opposition　to　themto　insure　that　perfect　justice　shall　be

done　to　all。〃



Relieved　that　the　question　involved　no　disclosure　of　her　only

secret　regarding　Hurlstone；　Miss　Keene　was　about　to　repeat　the

truth　that　she　had　no　confidential　knowledge　of　him；　or　of　his

absurd　alleged　connection　with　Senor　Perkins；　when；　with　an

instinct　of　tact；　she　hesitated。　　Might　she　not　serve　them　all

even　Hurlstone　himselfby　saying　nothing；　and　leaving　the　burden

of　proof　to　their　idiotic　accusers？　　Was　she　altogether　sure　that

Hurlstone　was　entirely　ignorant　of　Senor　Perkins'　plans；　or　might

he　not　have　refused；　at　the　last　moment；　to　join　in　the　conspiracy；

and　so　left　the　ship？



〃I　will　not　press　you　for　your　answer　now；〃　said　the　priest　gently。

〃But　you　will　not；　I　know；　keep　back　anything　that　may　throw　a

light　on　this　sad　affair；　and　perhaps　help　to　reinstate　your　friend

Mr。　Hurlstone　in　his　REAL　position。〃



〃If　you　ask　me　if　I　believe　that　Mr。　Hurlstone　had　anything　to　do

with　this　conspiracy；　I　should　say；　unhesitatingly；　that　I　do　NOT。

And　more；　I　believe　that　he　would　have　jumped　overboard　rather　than

assent　to　so　infamous　an　act；〃　said　the　young　girl　boldly。



〃Then　you　think　he　had　no　other　motive　for　leaving　the　ship？〃　said

the　priest　slowly。



〃Decidedly　not。〃　　She　stopped；　a　curious　anxious　look　in　the

Padre's　persistent　eyes　both　annoyed　and　frightened　her。　　〃What

other　motive　could　he　have？〃　she　said　coldly。



Father　Esteban's　face　lightened。



〃I　only　ask　because　I　think　you　would　have　known　it。　　Thank　you　for

the　assurance　all　the　same；　and　in　return　I　promise　you　I　will　use

my　best　endeavors　with　the　Comandante　for　your　friend　the　Captain

Bunker。　　Adieu；　my　daughter。　　Adieu；　Madame　Markham；〃　he　said；　as；

taking　the　arm　of　Don　Miguel；　he　turned　with　him　and　the　doctor

towards　the　guard…room。　　The　secretary　lingered　behind　for　a

moment。



〃Fear　nothing；〃　he　said；　in　whispered　English　to　Miss　Keene。　　〃I；

Ruy　Sanchez；　shall　make　you　free　of　Capitano　Bunker's　cell；〃　and

passed　on。



〃Well；〃　said　Mrs。　Markham；　when　the　two　women　were　alone　again。　　〃I

don't　pretend　to　fathom　the　befogged　brains　of　Todos　Santos；　but　as

far　as　I　can　understand　their　grown…up　child's　play；　they　are

making　believe　this　unfortunate　Mr。　Hurlstone；　who　may　be　dead　for

all　we　know；　is　in　revolt　against　the　United　States　Government；

which　is　supposed　to　be　represented　by　Senor　Perkins　and　the

Excelsiorthink　of　that！〃



〃But　Perkins　signed　himself　of　the　Quinquinambo　navy！〃　said　Miss

Keene　wonderingly。



〃That　is　firmly　believed　by　those　idiots　to　be　one　of　OUR　States。

Remember　they　know　nothing　of　what　has　happened　anywhere　in　the

last　fifty　years。　　I　dare　say　they　never　heard　of　filibusters　like

Perkins；　and　they　couldn't　comprehend　him　if　they　had。　　I've　given

up　trying　to　enlighten　them；　and　I　think　they're　grateful　for　it。

It　makes　their　poor　dear　heads　ache。〃



〃And　it　is　turning　mine！　　But；　for　Heaven's　sake；　tell　me　what　part

I　am　supposed　to　act　in　this　farce！〃　said　Miss　Keene。



〃You　are　the　friend　and　colleague　of　Hurlstone；　don't　you　see？〃

said　Mrs。　Markham。　　〃You　are　two　beautiful　young　patriotsdon't

blush；　my　dear！endeared　to　each　other　and　a　common　cause；　and

ready　to　die　for　your　country　in　opposition　to　Perkins；　and　the

faint…heartedness　of　such　neutrals　as　Mrs。　Brimmer；　Miss　Chubb；　the

poor　Captain；　and　all　the　men　whom　they　have　packed　off　to　San

Antonio。〃



〃Impossible！〃　said　Miss　Keene；　yet　with　an　uneasy　feeling　that　it

not　only　was　possible；　but　that　she　herself　had　contributed

something　to　the　delusion。　　〃But　how　do　they　account　for　my

friendship　with　YOUyou；　who　are　supposed　to　be　a　correspondent

an　accomplice　of　Perkins？〃



〃No；　no；〃　returned　Mrs。　Markham；　with　a　half　serious　smile；　〃I　am

not　allowed　that　honor。　　I　am　presumed　to　be　only　the　disconsolate

Dulcinea　of　Perkins；　abandoned　by　HIM；　pitied　by　you；　and　converted

to　the　true　faithat　least；　that　is　what　I　make　out　from　the

broken　English　of　that　little　secretary　of　the　Commander。〃



Miss　Keene　winced。



〃That's　all　my　fault；　dear；〃　she　said；　suddenly　entwining　her　arms

round　Mrs。　Markham；　and　hiding　her　half　embarrassed　smile　on　the

shoulder　of　her　strong…minded　friend；　〃they　suggested　it　to　me；　and

I　half　assented；　to　save　you。　　Please　forgive　me。〃



〃Don't　think　I　am　blaming　you；　my　dear　Eleanor；〃　said　Mrs。　Markham。

〃For　Heaven's　sake　assent　to　the　wildest　and　most　extravagant

hypothesis　they　can　offer；　if　it　will　leave　us　free　to　arrange　our

own　plans　for　getting　away。　　I　begin　to　think　we　were　not　a　very

harmonious　party　on　the　Excelsior；　and　most　of　our　troubles　here

are　owing　to　that。　　We　forget　we　have　fallen　among　a　lot　of

original　saints；　as　guileless　and　as　unsophisticated　as　our　first

parents；　who　know　nothing　of　our　customs　and　antecedents。　　They

have　accepted　us　on　what　they　believe　to　be　our　own　showing。　　From

first　to　last　we've　underrated　them；　forgetting　they　are　in　the

majority。　　We　can't　expect　to　correct　the　ignorance　of　fifty　years

in　twenty…four　hours；　and　I；　for　one；　sha'n't　attempt　it。　　I'd　much

rather　trust　to　the　character　those　people　would　conceive　of　me

from　their　own　consciousness　than　to　one　Mrs。　Brimmer　or　Mr。

Winslow　would　give　of　me。　　From　this　moment　I've　taken　a　firm

resolve　to　leave　my　reputation　and　the　reputation　of　my　friends

entirely　in　their　hands。　　If　you　are　wise　you　will　do　the　same。

They　are　inclined　to　worship　youdon't　hinder　them。　　My　belief　is；

if　we　only　take　things　quietly；　we　might　find　worse　places　to　be

stranded　on　than　Todos　Santos。　　If　Mrs。　Brimmer　and　those　men　of

ours；　who；　I　dare　say；　have　acted　as　silly　as　the　Mexicans

themselves；　will　only　be　quiet；　we　can　have　our　own　way　here　yet。〃



〃And　poor　Captain　Bunker？〃　said　Miss　Keene。



〃It　seems　hard　to　say　it；　but；　in　my　opinion；　he　is　better　under

lock　and　key；　for　everybody's　good；　at　present。　　He'd　be　a

firebrand　in　the　town　if　he　got　away。　　Meantime；　let　us　go　to　our

room。　　It　is　about　the　time　when　everybody　is　taking　a　siesta；　and

for　two　hours；　thank　Heaven！　we're　certain　nothing　more　can

happen。〃



〃I'll　join　you　in　a　moment；〃　said　Miss　Keene。



Her　quick　ear　had　caught　the　sound　of　voices　approaching。　　As　Mrs。

Markham　disappeared　in　the　passage；　the　Commander　and　his　party

reappeared　from　the　guard…room；　taking　leave　of　Padre　Esteban。　　The

secretary；　as　he　passed　Miss　Keene；　managed　to　add　to　his　formal

salutation　the　whispered　words；〃When　the　Angelus　rings　I　will

await　you　before　the　grating　of　his　prison。〃



Padre　Esteban　was　too　preoccupied　to　observe　this　incident。　　As

soon　as　he　quitted　the　Presidio；　he　hastened　to　the　Mission　with　a

disquieting　fear　that　his　strange　guest　might　have　vanished。　　But；

crossing　the　silent　refectory；　and　opening　the　door　of　the　little

apartment；　he　was　relieved　to　find　him　stretched　on　the　pallet　in　a

profound　slumber。　　The　peacefulness　of　the　venerable　walls　had　laid

a　gentle　finger　on　his　weary　eyelids。



The　Padre　glanced　round　the　little　cell；　and　back　again　at　the

handsome　suffering　face　that　seemed　to　have　found　surcease　and　rest

in　the　narrow　walls；　with　a　stirring　of　regret。　　But　the　next

moment　he　awakened　the　sleeper；　and　in　the　briefest；　almost　frigid；

sentences；　related　the　events　of　the　morning。



The　young　man　rose　to　his　feet　with　a　bitter　laugh。



〃You　see；〃　he　said；　〃God　is　against　me！　　And　yet　a　few　hours　ago　I

dared　to　think　that　He　had　guided　me　to　a　haven　of　rest　and

forgetfulness！



〃Have　you　told　the　truth　to　him　and　to　me？〃　said　the　priest

sternly；　〃or　have　youa　mere　political　refugeetaken　advantage　of

an　old　man's　weakness　to　forge　a　foolish　lie　of　sentimental

passion？〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　said　Hurlstone；　turning　upon　him　almost

fiercely。



The　priest　rose；　and　drawing　a　folded　paper　from　his　bosom；　opened

it　before　the　eyes　of　his　indignant　guest。



〃Remember　what　you　told　me　last　night　in　the　sacred　confidences　of

yonder　holy　church；　and　hear　what　you　really　are　from　the　lips　of

the　Council　of　Todos　Santos。〃



Smoothing　out　the　paper；　he　read　slowly　as　follows：





〃Whereas；　it　being　presented　to　an　Emergency　Coun