"Thank Heaven," ejaculated Luis, "that we have met him. It must be him, and he is the only man who will be able to assist me;" and he was hurrying to overtake Antonio and his companion, when the latter, giving him a parting embrace, hastened off in a different direction. "Who was that person?" inquired Luis, as he joined Antonio. "A very great vagabond, senhor, but yet not near so great a villain as many who profess to be virtuous. I have known him for a long time, and if he could but resist temptation, he would be an honest man; and I would trust my life in his power, provided it was not his interest to take it." "If he is the man I supposed, he saved mine three days ago," returned Luis. "Is he not called Fre Diogo Lopez?" "That is one of his names, to which he has as great a right as to the coat he now wears; but he is no friar, senhor; no, no, he is too honest for that; but if he is tempted to commit any piece of villainy, he assumes the character, as most appropriate for the purpose, he says. He once entered a monastery as a lay brother, where he learned all the habits and customs of the monks; but they did not accord with the ideas of morality he then entertained, so after a couple of years he quitted them, and has ever since wandered about the country in various disguises, as suits his purpose; but if the holy Inquisition get hold of him, I fear he will not be able to escape their clutches." "But has he given you any information that may be of service to us?" interrupted Luis eagerly. "That is to be proved," said Antonio calmly; "I know the man from whose power the Frade saved your life, and who carried the lady off; a greater villain there does not exist in Lisbon. I have learned so much from our friend, though the difficulty will be to find this Rodrigo; and the chances are that he will adorn one of the newly-raised gibbets before long. I hope, however, to have an interview with him before that time; and then the sooner he is hung, the sooner will there be one villain less in the world." "Is this the only clue you have been able to discover?" said Luis, dejectedly. "I fear that it will be of little service." "Fear not, senhor," answered Antonio: "in the first place, you have the satisfaction of knowing that the lady was not killed by the falling houses, when Rodrigo carried her off; and, in the second, I have reason to suppose that it was not for his own sake he committed the outrage." "Thank Heaven for that!" ejaculated Luis. "In the mean time, our friend the Frade is making inquiries which may assist us," continued Antonio. "And we will now, by your leave, find Captain Pinto, to whom I wish to make some reports." They accordingly proceeded in search of the Captain. When Don Luis and his companions arrived at the spot where they had agreed to meet Captain Pinto, which was at an open place called the Caes Sodre, near the royal arsenal, they found the people under his command with several prisoners in their custody.