"Yes, dear; and some day he will come," said Dolores, again kissing the boy and bending over him so as to hide her face from Evaña. "Then you must not be triste, Lola; it makes me feel bad to see you triste, Lola; yesterday you were crying and it made Justito sad to see you," said the boy, patting her cheeks with his two little hands. "Some day when I am big, then I will go and bring back my friend from away over the sea. Is it far to go, Lola?" "Yes, dear, hundreds and hundreds of leagues, and all water, with the waves going up and down and tossing the ships about." "Why did he go so far, Lola?" "He had to go where the King of England sent him, for he is a soldier." "Poor Lola," said the boy, again patting her cheeks, "again you are crying, Lola; who makes you triste, Lola?" "A wicked man who has put Marcelino in prison. You love Marcelino, don't you, Justito?" "Yes, oh so much! When is he coming again, Lola? Days that he has not been here." But Dolores could prattle to the boy no more, her sobs choked her speech and he threw his arms round her neck, kissing her and looking angrily back at Don Carlos, as if he thought he was the cause of all her sorrow. "Come to me, Justito, and I will tell you about Marcelino, and about your friend," said Don Carlos, bending with one knee to the pavement and holding out his arms to the boy. "No, no, go away," said Justito. "Are you the wicked man who has made Lola cry?" "No, no, Justito, Don Carlos is not wicked; he is going to take Marcelino out of prison, and then Lola won't cry any more," said Dolores. Then Justito jumped from Dolores' arms and ran to Don Carlos Evaña. "You will go, won't you, and bring Marcelino back with you, it makes Justito bad to see Lola cry?" said he. "I will go, and will not come here again till I bring Marcelino with me," said Don Carlos, raising the boy up in his arms and kissing him. Dolores rose from her seat with a smile on her face as Evaña spoke. "Always my friend and his brother," said she, then taking the boy from him she led him away with her into the house. Don Carlos Evaña only remained long enough at the quinta to speak a few words to Doña Constancia, and to learn from her all she knew concerning the imprisonment of his friend Marcelino. Then, declining her urgent invitation to pass the night at the quinta, he remounted his horse and galloped away through the darkness for the city. CHAPTER VI THE EVE OF A GREAT EVENT It was nine o'clock when Don Carlos Evaña reached the city. Without stopping either to change his dress or to take food, he had no sooner dismounted than he went straight to the house of Don Gregorio Lopez. In the first patio he met Valentin. "Don Carlos! Back already, I am so glad," said Valentin. "You know what has happened?" "Marcelino has been imprisoned, that I know. Is there anything else?"