“You have not mentioned your name, monsieur?” “Ralph Donnington. I arrived yesterday and stayed at the Avenida. Would you like some confirmation? My card case is here, and this cigar case has my initials outside and my full name inside.” “I do not need anything of that sort,” she cried quickly, waving her hands. But she read both the name and the initials. “What have you inferred from what you have seen here to-night?” “That the rascals who brought you here are some of the same sort of riff-raff I saw attacking the police and got hold of you as an enemy of the people. I heard that bit of cant from one of them. That you are of the class they are accustomed to regard as their oppressors was probably as evident to them as to me; and when you expressed sympathy with them----” “You heard that?” she broke in earnestly. “Certainly, when I heard you tell them to fetch this Dr. Barosa. But it is nothing to me; nor, thank Heaven, are your Portuguese politics or plots. But what is a good deal to me is how we are going to get out of this.” “And for what do you take me, monsieur?” “For one of the most beautiful enthusiasts I ever had the pleasure of meeting, madame,” I replied with a bow. “And a leader whom any one should be glad indeed to follow.” She was woman enough to relish the compliment and she smiled. “You think I am a leader of these people, then?” “It is my regret that I am not one of them.” “I am afraid that is not true, Mr. Donnington.” “At any rate I shall be delighted to follow your lead out of this house.” “You will not be in any danger, I assure you of that.” As she spoke we heard the sounds of some little commotion outside the room and I guessed that the scoundrels had brought up some more of their kind. “I hope so, but I think we shall soon know.” “I have your word of honour that you will not breathe a word of anything you have witnessed here to-night.” “Certainly. I pledge my word of honour.” The men outside appeared to have a good deal to chatter about and seemed none too ready to enter. They were probably discussing who should have the privilege of being the first to face my revolver. I did not like the look of the thing at all. “If they are your friends, why don’t they come in?” I asked my companion. “Hadn’t you better speak to them?” She crossed to the door and it occurred to me to place the head of a chair under the handle and make it a little more difficult for them to get in. “You need have no fear, Mr. Donnington,” she said with a touch of contempt as I took this precaution. “It’s only a slight test of the mood they are in.” As she reached the door the injured man began to show signs of recovering his senses; and I stooped over him while she spoke to the men. “Is Dr. Barosa there?” she called. Getting no reply, she repeated the question and knocked on the panel.