At first Katie seemed about to faint, but the last sentence roused her. She started up, and again seized his arm with her convulsive grasp. With white, tremulous lips she said, in a low voice which had sunk to a whisper, "An hour! an hour! Did you say--another hour?" Lopez bowed his head in silence. "But _you_--_you_--_you_," said Katie, fiercely--"_you_ do not believe him guilty?" "I have nothing to do with it," said Lopez, coldly. "Nothing to do? Are you not commander here?" "Yes." "Can you do nothing?" she asked again. "No. The trial is over. His fate has already been decided; in another hour all will be over." The repetition of these words roused Katie to a fresh outburst of despairing grief. "Oh!" said she; "in so short a time! so short!" "It was because he was so near his doom," continued Lopez, "that the condemned prisoner requested to see you, and I thought I would mention it. Had it not been for this request he would have been shot without your knowing it." Katie wrung her hands, in a blind passion of despair. "Oh!" she burst forth, "something must be done! He shall not die! He must not! Oh, heavens! how can I live, and think of it? Harry! Harry! was there no one to speak for you? A _spy_! It's false! He was a simple traveller. Oh, Captain Lopez, there must be some way of saving him, or at least of deferring his doom. Can it not be put off--for one day?" "That would be of no avail," said Lopez. "One day!" pleaded Katie, in eager tones. "It's useless," said Lopez; "it's impossible. The sentence of the court cannot be revoked." "But time flies! Oh, Captain Lopez, can you not let him go?" "Oh yes," said Lopez, "I can do that easily enough. I could let him out, so that he could escape." At this Katie fell on her knees, and clasped the hands of Lopez. "Oh, Captain Lopez, I kneel to you! I pray to you! On my knees I pray for his life! Let him fly! Oh, let him fly! Oh, I pray--I pray on my knees!" Lopez drew a long breath. This scene was terrible to him in many ways; but, above all, it was terrible to see what love was thus lavished on this comparative stranger, when he would risk his life, and had risked his life, for a single smile. "Think," said he, "what it is that you ask. The moment I let him go, that moment I myself am a criminal, I myself am condemned. I must fly--I must become a ruined man! Ruined? Worse: dishonored, disgraced in my native land; I who have had high ambitions, and have won no mean distinctions. And yet do you ask this of me?" Katie bowed her head down; she kissed his hands, and in tremulous tones said, "Oh, I must--I must! I do!" Lopez was trembling from head to foot. He himself could now scarcely speak from agitation. "And may I," he said, in a low voice--"may I--ask--nothing from you--when I give up--honor, life, hope, all--for your sake?"