"With all my heart, señor," Beauvallet answered lightly. His glance flickered to Dominica's face of despair; his hand went to his beard, and for an instant a finger lay across his lips. He saw her eyes fall, and knew that she had understood. Someone had sped forth to call the guard. Sir Nicholas turned his head, and seemed amused to see so many gathered between him and the door. "God's my life, you hold this Beauvallet a desperate man, do you not, señors?" he said. Perinat put up his sword. His first wild passion had died down; he spoke calmly now, but with great bitterness. "Desperate indeed must you be to dare come into Spain," he said, "You have made a jest of me, and of others, Beauvallet, but he who laughs last may laugh the longest." Beauvallet's eyes glinted. "The last laugh, señor, is certainly going to be mine," he said. "You say that I am Beauvallet, but there is one yonder who says I am not, and it seems she should know." "She does know!" Don Diego said, ignoring a warning look from his mother. "You cannot fool us thus, dog!" "Enough of that!" Again Noveli intervened. "This is for other interrogation than yours, Don Diego. Hold your peace, I command you! If we do you an injustice, Chevalier, I hope you will be kind enough only to laugh at us." "You may be sure of it, señor," said Sir Nicholas. "We shall all laugh." Again his glance flitted to Dominica's face. "Let no one be ill at ease. This affair will have a happy ending, don't doubt it." There came a stir by the door, and the clank of spurred heels. "Aha, the guard! Now by my faith you count El Beauvallet a dangerous fellow! As I live, the Guards of Castile, and a round dozen of them!" He was surrounded. The lieutenant, who wore a face of incredulous wonder, bowed stiffly. "Señor, I regret, I must ask you for your sword." It was presented him, hilt foremost. "Señor, be good enough to go with us." "With the greatest pleasure on earth Señor lieutenant," said Beauvallet. He looked towards the Andalusian. "Don Juan, it seems I may have to forego my game of _trucos_ with you to-morrow, and maybe some other engagements I had made. Accept my apologies. But all the other engagements that I have for later dates shall certainly be kept. Señor, lead on!" He went out, close-guarded, but his voice echoed still in Dominica's ears: "The engagements that I have for later dates shall certainly be kept ... shall certainly be kept." CHAPTER XV Joshua Dimmock, prowling in the shadows outside the Casa Noveli, saw enough, and more than enough to set him fingering his dagger. Certain, it itched to be out, but "Yarely, my man, yarely," Joshua cautioned himself. "One man at large is better than two caged." It was his habit to lurk near whatever house Sir Nicholas stayed in. He was laughed at for his pains, but laid a finger to his nose. "I look for trouble," quoth Joshua Dimmock. "I don't wait to have it brought to my notice."