"On the terrace of the palace, which had anciently been the head-quarters of that celebrated fraternity, the Santa Hermandad, founded in 1249 for the suppression of robbers, I walked to and fro for half an hour with the aide-de-camp, enjoying a cigar, talking of the war, my own mishap, and longing to ask a few questions about his dark-eyed cousin, with whom her miniature had made me so intimately acquainted. The glorious moon was rolling through an unclouded Spanish sky, pouring a flood of silver light into the Plaza and court of the palace, on the towers of the great church, and the magnificent hospital of Cardinal Lorenzana, the good and wise Archbishop of Toledo. The gardens of the Marquis were all lighted up by the same white radiance; the foliage of the citron trees was edged with silver and laden with perfume; the rose-trees hung their dewy blossoms over the marble fountains, the clear waters of which plashed and sparkled in the moonlight. After a pause, I ventured to ask-- "'What is the name of the--the Marquis's daughter?' "'My cousin--la nina--Estella de la Zarza.' "'A pretty one enough; and she is about to change it, I presume?' "'Change it!' reiterated the Ayudante de Campo, who did not perceive that I was fishing for a certain information. 'Oh! I see--marriage. She is about to marry, Corpo de Baccho! yes, but our Spanish ladies do not change their names when they marry.' "'And who is the happy man--yourself, señor?' "'Nay, nay--we Catholics cannot marry our cousins. Next week she is to wed old Don José Gonzalez.' "'What! that old beer-barrel, the town-major?' "'Si, señor,' replied he, twirling his mustaches, with a doubtful look: while I felt that I was beginning to abhor that town-major immeasurably. "About eight o'clock next morning I saw sixteen Spanish officers in full uniform, with their swords and belts, preceded by the said Don José, marching in file through the court of the palace, at the side-door of which they entered. A few minutes afterwards my friend, the aide-de-camp, came to acquaint me, that "the court-martial, by which I was to be tried, was constituted, and awaited me." Without any futile protestation against the illegality and rapidity of this measure, I followed him to a spacious apartment, having four large windows, which opened clown to the floor, and overlooked a grass park which lay behind the palace. The members of the court, over which the town-major (who, from the first, had constituted himself my deadly enemy) presided, were solemnly sworn across their swords; they promised to administer justice according to the laws of war, and so forth, and then the prosecution proceeded.