"Father Brooke?" said the lady, interrogatively, with a furtive smile which was perhaps occasioned by the incongruity between the priest's sacred garb and somewhat eccentric manner. To this question the reply was not particularly appropriate. The priest, or Brooke, as he may now be called, looked with a smile of quiet drollery at Miss Talbot, and then, in a strange whining voice, began to drone out some verses of a song: "Old Bluebeard was a warrior bold, He kept his wives in a great stronghold. One--Two--Three--Four--Five--Six--Seven-- They all of them died and went to Heaven. Old B. fell into a dismal state, And went and married Number Eight." "Well," he resumed, in his natural voice, "Father Brooke isn't bad; Brother Brooke, however, would be better; but, on the whole, simple 'Brooke' is the best of all." "Well, now, Mr. Brooke," asked the lady, anxiously, "what are our prospects? Have you found out anything?" "Oh yes; I've had a conversation with an amiable Carlist who was on the point of blowing my brains out, and was only prevented by the unparalleled 'cheek' of the unworthy being who now addresses you." "Did you really incur such danger?" asked Miss Talbot, in unfeigned anxiety. "Danger? Oh, a trifle; but a miss is as good as a mile. I'm here now, safe and sound, but for two or three seconds you ran a great risk of making your journey alone. However, I made friends with them, and was entertained royally. Now, as to escape. I'm sorry to say that the country is swarming everywhere with these noble Carlists; that there is no such thing as law; that there are no magistrates, no police, no post-office, no telegraph, no railway trains, no newspapers, and no taxes except of an irregular kind." "That is very bad," said Miss Talbot, slowly, and in a low, anxious voice. "Oh yes," said Brooke, "but it's just as I feared. "'There was an old man with a beard,' "you know, "'Who said, "It is just as I feared-- Two owls and a wren And a cock and a hen Have all built their nests in my beard."' "That's me. I told you so. Still, there's no need to despair. It's quite plain that we cannot travel by day without being discovered, so we shall have to try it by night. This will be all the better. So you must spend this day in meditation and prayer, and also in laying up a stock of bodily and mental strength. To-night we set forth, and we must move on all night long. May I ask if there is any place in particular to which you prefer going?" "None whatever. I must leave myself altogether to you." "So I suppose," said Brooke. "But is there no danger in this place, Mr. Brooke?" "Danger? None whatever. I can't explain to you how completely this is out of the way of every one, whether marauder or honest man. You may be perfectly at your case on that score. Will this place satisfy you?" "Perfectly. But I should like very much to tell you, Mr. Brooke, how grateful I feel for all this trouble and--"