“Yes—­but I heard at Alagon that he was delayed on the road at the Castejon side of Alagon—­an accident to his carriage—­a broken wheel.”

“Ah!” said Sarrion sympathetically.  He glanced at Marcos who was looking out of the window with a thoughtful smile.

“You yourself have had a hurried journey from Pampeluna,” said Sarrion to his sister.  “I hear the railway line is broken by the Carlists.”

“The damage is being repaired,” replied Sor Teresa.  “My journey was not a pleasant one, but that is of no importance since I have arrived.”

“Why did you come?” asked Marcos, bluntly.  He was a plain-dealer in thought and word.  If Sor Teresa should embroil herself with her confessor, as Sarrion had gracefully put it, by answering his questions, that was her affair.

“I came to prevent, if I could, a great mistake.”

“You mean that Juanita is quite unfitted for the life into which, for the sake of his money, she is being forced or tricked.”

“Force has failed,” replied Sor Teresa.  “Juanita has spirit.  She laughed in the face of force and refused absolutely.”

“And?” muttered Sarrion.

“One may presume that subtler means were used,” answered the nun.

“You mean trickery,” suggested Marcos.  “You mean that her own words were twisted into another meaning; that she was committed or convicted out of her own lips; that she was brought to Saragossa by trickery, and that by trickery she will be dragged unwittingly into religion—­you need not shake your head.  I am saying nothing against the Church.  I am a good Catholic.  It is a question of politics.  And in politics you must fight with the weapon that the adversary selects.  We are only politicians ... my dear aunt.”

“Is that all?” said Sor Teresa, looking at him with her deep eyes which had seen the world before they saw heaven.  Things seen leave their trace behind the eyes.

Marcos made no answer, but turned away and looked out of the window again.

“It is a question of mutual accommodation,” put in Sarrion in his lighter voice.  “Sometimes the Church makes use of politics.  And at another time it is politics making use of the Church.  And each sullies the other on each occasion.  We shall not let Juanita go into religion.  The Church may want her and may think that it is for her happiness, but we also have our opinion on that point; we also ...”

He broke off with a laugh and threw out his hands in a gesture of deprecation; for Sor Teresa had placed her two hands over that part of her cap which concealed her ears.

“I can hear nothing,” she said.  “I can hear nothing.”

She removed her hands and sat sipping her coffee in silence.  Marcos was standing near the window.  He could see the white road stretched out across the plain for miles.

“What did you intend to do on your arrival in Saragossa if you had not met us?” he asked.