"Her consent is as unnecessary as the sanction of the law. It is just because they are favorite servants--petted, pampered, and spoiled servants--that I wish to part with them. Such servants are nuisances in the family circle." "The senor is right, always right! but--shall we have any difficulty with the negroes?" "None whatever. You will take them in their beds." "Will they not make an outcry and bring the house upon us?" "My excellent but too cautious friend, did you never hear of chloroform?" "Surely, senor." "It is one of the greatest blessings modern science has conferred upon us. It not only saves much pain in surgical operations, but in other operations it actually saves life. The experienced burglar now, when he enters a house for the purpose of robbery, instead of cutting the throat of a wakeful inmate, simply administers chloroform, and soothes his restlessness so perfectly that he falls into a happy state of insensibility, while he, the burglar, pursues his calling undisturbed and at leisure." "Well, senor?" "Well, don't you understand? I will conduct you and such of your men as you can trust to the castle; admit you secretly; lead you to the bedside of the negroes, who are sure at this hour to be in a deep sleep; administer the chloroform to send them into a deeper one; and so transport them to the vessel." "And by that time we will be ready to raise anchor and sail. And when our sleepers awake we shall be safely on our way to Cuba." "Exactly. But no time is to be lost. Will you go now?" inquired the viscount, rising. "Certainly," said the captain, and he went on deck to order the boat manned to go on shore. In a few minutes it was reported ready, and the captain, the mate, and two sailors whom they supposed they could rely upon, entered it. In a very few minutes they reached the shore and left the boat. "Leave the two sailors here with the boat; the mate will be sufficient for our purpose," said the viscount. The captain gave the necessary directions to the boatmen. Lord Vincent, Captain Costo, and Paolo went up the narrow pass leading to the top of the cliff and entered the castle courtyard. "Your boots are heavy; they might awaken the household, even at this hour of its deepest sleep; you must put them off here," whispered the viscount. It was no sooner said than done. The men cast off both shoes and stockings and stood in their bare feet. "We must keep them dry to put on again," said the mate, as he stuffed the stockings into the boots. Then, silent as death, they stole into the castle and glided along the dark, deserted halls and up its staircases. The viscount paused before the door of Mrs. Dugald's boudoir, and taking the maid's pass-key from its hiding place, softly unlocked and entered the room, beckoning his companions in crime to follow. Silently he stole across the room, drew aside the crimson-satin hangings, exposed the oak-paneled walls, and touched a spring.