“In the Troyas’ house,” said the young man, “in the house of those—­those girls—­”

“Finish at once!”

“Caballuco is there!”

“Up there?  In the house of the Troyas?”

“Yes, senor.  He spoke to me from the terrace, and he told me he was afraid they were coming there to arrest him.”

“Oh, what a fool!  That idiot is going to allow himself to be arrested!” exclaimed Dona Perfecta, tapping the floor impatiently with her foot.

“He wants to come down and let us hide him in the house.”

“Here?”

The canon and his niece exchanged a glance.

“Let him come down!” said Dona Perfecta vehemently.

“Here?” repeated Don Inocencio, with a look of ill-humor.

“Here,” answered the lady.  “I don’t know of any house where he would be more secure.”

“He can let himself down easily from the window of my room,” said Jacinto.

“Well, if it is necessary——­”

“Maria Remedios,” said Dona Perfecta, “if they take that man, all is lost.”

“I am a fool and a simpleton,” answered the canon’s niece, laying her hand on her breast and stifling the sigh that was doubtless about to escape from it; “but they shall not take him.”

Dona Perfecta went out quickly, and shortly afterward the Centaur was making himself comfortable in the arm-chair in which Don Inocencio was accustomed to sit when he was writing his sermons.

We do not know how it reached the ears of Brigadier Batalla, but certain it is that this active soldier had had notice that the Orbajosans had changed their intentions; and on the morning of this day he had ordered the arrest of those whom in our rich insurrectional language we are accustomed to call marked.  The great Caballuco escaped by a miracle, taking refuge in the house of the Troyas, but not thinking himself safe there he descended, as we have seen, to the holy and unsuspected mansion of the good canon.

At night the soldiers, established at various points of the town, kept a strict watch on all who came in and went out, but Ramos succeeded in making his escape, cheating or perhaps without cheating the vigilance of the military.  This filled the measure of the rage of the Orbajosans, and numbers of people were conspiring in the hamlets near Villahorrenda; meeting at night to disperse in the morning and prepare in this way the arduous business of the insurrection.  Ramos scoured the surrounding country, collecting men and arms; and as the flying columns followed the Aceros into the district of Villajuan de Nahara, our chivalrous hero made great progress in a very short time.