"What!" exclaimed L'Isle, "that respectable old man drunk every night!" "Not _every_ night!" said Lady Mabel. "But have you forgotten in what condition he came back with us from Evora?" "True. But I thought that an accident, and more the effect of sickness than drinking. He seemed quite sober when you came home, and a graver and more sedate man I do not know." "O, he is a Presbyterian, you know, and the more liquor he swallows the graver and more sanctimonious he becomes." "That may be. Still Lady Mabel, I must find some way of getting out of the house. Already I shall be too late at Alcantara." "I am afraid Sir Rowland will not drink in your news at breakfast. But if it be good, it will come in capitally after dinner, by way of dessert." "After dinner!" said L'Isle hurriedly. "I must be there many hours before that!" "Then I am sorry to have kept you here so long. I suppose Jenny and I must keep watch by ourselves all night, for I cannot keep those heavy-headed fellows awake." "Awake and watching!" exclaimed L'Isle. "Yes--awake and watching," Lady Mabel answered. "If you could stay we would not insist on your sitting up with us. I could have Papa's room made ready for you; and if I knew that you were asleep in Papa's bed, with your drawn sword on one side, and a pair of his pistols, cocked, on the other, I would not be in the least afraid." "Afraid of what?" asked L'Isle in astonishment. "Of these robbers, who go plundering and murdering all over the country by night!" said Lady Mabel, her large blue eyes opening wide in well-feigned terror. "Oh, don't talk of them, my lady!" said Jenny, with a stifled scream, and an affected shudder. "Have you not heard of them?" Lady Mabel asked in a tone of surprise. "I cannot say I have--at least of any depredations here at Elvas." "But we are outside of Elvas--to our sorrow; and the monks, great engineers as they have elsewhere proved themselves, have constructed but a very weak fortress in this building. Our garrison is weaker still. Papa carried off his two most efficient servants. William is a simpleton, Tomkins a craven, and Moodie, though bold as a lion, is an old man, already bound hand and foot, and gagged by his strong enemy." "But where is the Portuguese part of your household?" L'Isle asked. "Being thieves in a small way," said Lady Mabel, "we always, at night, lock them out of this part of the building. While the robbers were cutting our throats up-stairs, they might be stealing our silver below. We have an anxious time here, I assure you. It is as much as I can do to keep poor Jenny from going off into hysterics; she will not go to bed lest she should be robbed and murdered in her sleep. It is lucky that I, being a soldier's daughter, have a little courage." "Courage!" exclaimed L'Isle, "I am astonished at your sudden timidity. Why, there is a sentinel day and night here at headquarters."