"Yes," the prisoner said, bitterly, "the Mexicans remember the Spaniards their ancestors, and appeal to torture when necessary; well, try it, Captain--who prevents you? I trust that my gray hairs will not grow weak before your young moustache." "Enough of this," the Captain said, angrily. "If I give you your liberty, should I deliver a friend or a foe?" "Neither." "Hum! what do you mean?" "My answer is clear enough, surely." "Still, I do not understand it." "I will explain in two words." "Speak." "Both of us being placed in diametrically opposite positions, chance has thought proper to bring us together to-day: if we now part, we shall take with us no feeling of hatred through our meeting, because neither you nor I have had cause to complain of each other, and probably we shall never see each other again." "Still, it is plain that when my soldiers found you, you were expecting somebody on this road." "What makes you suppose that?" "Hang it! you told me you were hunters; I do not see any game you could hunt along this road." The prisoner began laughing. "Who knows?" he replied, with a stress on his words, "Perhaps it was more precious game than you may fancy, and of which you would like to have your share." The monk gave a slight start, and opened his eyes as awaking. "What?" he said, addressing the Captain, and stifling a yawn. "You are not asleep, Don Juan?" "Not yet," the latter answered. "I am questioning the two men my vanguard arrested some hours ago." "Ah!" the monk remarked with a disdainful glance at the strangers, "these poor devils do not appear to me very alarming." "You think so?" "I do not know what you can have to fear from these men." "Perhaps they are spies?" Fray Antonio assumed a paternal air. "Spies?" he said; "Do you fear an ambuscade?" "Under the circumstances in which we now are, that supposition is not so improbable, I fancy." "Nonsense! in a country like this, and with the escort you have at your service, that would be extraordinary; moreover, these two men let themselves be captured without resistance, as I heard, when they might easily have escaped." "That is true." "It is evident, then, that they had no bad intentions. If I were you, I would quietly let them go where they pleased." "Is that your advice?" "Indeed it is." "You seem to take a great interest in these two strangers." "I? Not the least in the world. I only tell you what is right, that's all: now you can act as you please. I wash my hands of it." "You may be right, still I will not set these persons at liberty till they have told me the name of the person they were expecting." "Were they expecting anybody?" "They say so, at any rate." "It is true, Captain," said the person who had hitherto spoken; "but though we knew you were coming, it was not you we were waiting for." "Who was it, then?" "Do you insist on knowing?" "Certainly."