“Now let me go,” she said, panting. “You promised.” The young man relinquished his hold, and the girl, with the quick movement of a humming-bird, dived into the foliage, and would have disappeared, had he not with equal celerity intercepted her, again imprisoning her wrist. “You liar!” she cried, her magnificent eyes ablaze with anger. “Faithless minion of a faithless race, you promised to let me go.” “And I kept my promise,” said the young man, still with a smile. “I said I would release your hand, and I did so; but as for yourself, that is a different matter. You see, señorita, to speak plainly, you are a spy. I have caught you almost within our lines, counting our boats, and, perhaps, our men. There is war between our countries, and I arrest you as a spy.” “A brave country, yours,” she cried, “to war upon women!” “Well,” said the young man, with a laugh, “what are we to do? The men won’t stay and fight us.” She gave him a dark, indignant glance at this, which but heightened her swarthy beauty. “And what are you,” she said, “but a spy?” “Not yet,” he replied. “If you had found me peering at the fort, then, perhaps, I should be compelled to plead guilty. But as it is, you are the only spy here at present, señorita. Do you know what the fate of a spy is?” The girl stood there for a few moments, her face downcast, the living gyves still encircling her wrists. When she looked up it was with a smile so radiant that the young man gasped for breath, and his heart beat faster than ever it had done in warfare. “But you will not give me up?” she murmured, softly. “Then would I be in truth a faithless minion,” cried the young man, fervently; “not, indeed, to my country, but to your fascinating sex, which I never adored so much as now.” “You mean that you would be faithless to your country, but not to me?” “Well,” said the young man, with some natural hesitation, “I shouldn’t care to have to choose between my allegiance to one or the other. England can survive without warring upon women, as you have said; so I hope that if we talk the matter amicably over, we may find that my duty need not clash with my inclination.” “I am afraid that is impossible,” she answered, quickly. “I hate your country.” “But not the individual members of it, I hope.” “I know nothing of its individual members, nor do I wish to, as you shall soon see, if you will but let go my wrist.” “Ah, señorita,” exclaimed the young man, “you are using an argument now that will make me hold you forever.” “In that case,” said the girl, “I shall change my argument, and give instead a promise. If you release me I shall not endeavour to escape--I may even be so bold as to expect your escort to the fort, where, if I understand you aright, you were but just now going.” “I accept your promise, and shall be delighted if you will accept my escort. Meanwhile, in the interest of our better acquaintance, can I persuade you to sit down, and allow me to cast myself at your feet?”