"I promise you, on the honour of a friar, that if I can help it, no harm shall happen to you; and in return, you must promise me, on the honour of a fidalgo, that you will never mention to any human being that you have seen me here, or allow your people to do so, whatever your suspicions may be; for I have repented of certain little peccadillos I have committed, and intend to lead a new life." "If you adhere to the conditions, I promise not to betray you," said Don Luis. "Very well; and now, in mercy's sake, don't keep me up in the cold any longer," said the Friar. "Permit me first, senhor, to deprive you of that delicate little penknife," said Pedro, taking the friar's dagger from his hands, "and now, pray retire to your couch." The friar was not long in doing as he was ordered; and, as if to convince them of the purity of his conscience, he was soon fast asleep, as might be supposed from his loud snores. Not long afterwards, some one was heard pressing against the door. "Curses on the lazy friar," muttered a voice outside, in a low growl, yet loud enough to be heard through the crevices of the walls,--"He's snoring away like a hog, without thinking of his promise to us." "Open the door, and steal softly in," said another voice. "You can easily get possession of their arms, when we can rush in to bind them, and then it will be time enough to bind the estalajadeiro, and the rest of the household, though I suspect Senhora Rosa will give us some little trouble; however, we can let her loose the first, to release the rest, when we are far off with the booty." "A very good plan, doubtless; but I am not going to run the chance of being shot by that hot-headed youngster. What can have become of the frade? Hark! the lazy brute is still snoring on, forgetful of our interests." "Will nothing waken him?" said another voice. "Try the door again." Another attempt was now made to open the door without noise. Don Luis and his servants stood prepared, with pistols in hand, to defend themselves, while Pedro kept his eye on the snoring friar, who, the more the people outside spoke, made the louder nasal music to drown their voices. After the door had been several times gently shaken, and the wooden fastening turned in several ways to no purpose-- "Carramba!" exclaimed one of the voices. "They have secured the door inside, and, unless that houndish friar will wake up, we shall be foiled completely. Curses on the fool! There he snores away. This delay will never do; we must dash open the door, and cut all their throats." "By Saint Anthony, nothing would give me greater satisfaction," said another. "I long to revenge myself for the loss that youth caused us yesterday, and see, Heaven has delivered him into our hands!" "So do I; but the estalajadeiro declared he would have no murder, nor any of the horses taken, which might be traced to give his house a bad name; and that nobody should know he had a hand in it."