As soon as they left the conveyance the man spread out his arms and expanded his chest with a long breath. The woman half smiled, and said something to him in Spanish. Then they mingled with the crowd around Tompkins Square and disappeared. * * * * * Two days after Blanco's arrest the physician, now in constant attendance upon his wife, filed the death certificate of a stillborn child. Puerperal fever set in, and the life of the unhappy woman for more than two weeks trembled in the balance. During the first week a telegram from New Orleans, which Blanco's captor had permitted him to send, came, addressed to her. The physician opened it; but as she was almost constantly unconscious, it was impossible to inform her of its contents for some days. Then she was simply told that her husband had been heard from, and was safe. The doctor peremptorily forbade any information being given her of Blanco's true situation; and as she could not understand the language, and so glean intelligence from the newspapers, which contained reports of the inquiry conducted by the Commissioner, and the complete identification of the prisoner as Leon Sangrado, she, of course, remained in ignorance of what had happened. Some five weeks elapsed before she was judged sufficiently strong to bear the shock which such news would inevitably produce. Then she was told as gently as possible, all mention of the nature of the charges against Blanco being avoided. She listened in silent surprise. "But he has never been in Chili in his life," she insisted. The old doctor, himself a Spaniard, looked at her pityingly, but said nothing. "He has been Consul before nowhere but at Trieste; how could he have been in South America?" she continued. "Consul? Is your husband, then, in the Consular service of Spain?" queried the doctor, somewhat surprised. "He is here as Consul to Charleston--in--ah, what is the name?--Carolina." "Can you prove that?" demanded the physician, somewhat excitedly. "I can--that is, I think there are official papers in the trunks. Is it necessary?" "Very necessary." "Here are the keys, then." The doctor in her presence opened the luggage, and in a curiously arranged secret compartment in one of the trunks found the documents. After a few moments spent in looking them over, he said: "Do you feel strong to-day?" "Not very." "I think you could travel, however. I will see that your baggage is properly packed, if you will be prepared to accompany me to-morrow morning." "But whither?" "To Washington; to the Spanish Minister. This is a serious business."