“I do not wish to do so, thank you; but we shall have a minute or two while Miralda gets ready. And I wish to have a word with you privately, Mr. Donnington, after what you told me.” “I shall be ready in a minute,” said Miralda with a smile as she went away. “What are you going to do, Mr. Donnington?” asked Inez. “There can, of course, be only one meaning to your statement--that you were on the _Rampallo_ last night. Are you going to betray us?” She was greatly agitated and made little attempt to conceal it. “Not necessarily. I have no concern with your politics or plots.” “Yet you have interfered in this?” “For the sole purpose of making sure of Miralda’s liberty. When she has left the city, and if she is not implicated any further, and a full explanation is made in writing of the means adopted to force her to do what she has done--a statement which must also include the persecution of the rest of her family--there may be no reason why I should not keep silent.” “May be?” “Will be--if you prefer it put more definitely. But that statement, signed by both yourself and Dr. Barosa, must be in my hands within an hour.” “And Major Sampayo?” I shrugged my shoulders. “I care for nothing but Miralda’s welfare in this.” “You are a generous enemy, Mr. Donnington. There will be no difficulty in doing all you ask. May I--may I thank you?” and she held out her hand. “I have not forgotten that you saved my life, and only regret that I have been powerless to help you with Miralda until you have forced me. I hope you will bear me no malice.” “It is not my way, I assure you.” “Will you tell me how you learnt of last night’s plot?” “I would rather you did not ask me.” “Some one betrayed it to you?” “No. But you must not press me to give you any more details.” “But you cannot have done it alone; and you will see that for Miralda’s sake we ought to know if any traitor is amongst us. He might carry information in the future to others, and then all this would come out.” “I repeat I do not know of any traitor in your ranks. I cannot say any more.” “But who knows beside yourself?” she persisted. “No one on whose silence I cannot rely as surely as you may rely upon me.” “But, Mr. Donnington----” “I can say no more. And now Miralda should be back.” “I am agitated and had actually forgotten her. I will go and see what is keeping her;” and she went away. I was now very impatient to be out of the house. I had gained all I had striven for so desperately; and there was really no solid reason why I should turn informer. If this abduction scheme was not discovered by the Government, no suspicion in any future plot would fall upon Miralda. Her flight from the city would not be connected with any trouble of the sort; and when we reached Paris, it would be my fault if in a few hours she was not my wife.