At six o'clock Dick and I were at the fonda, inquiring for Colonel O'Donnel and his daughter. They had come in at two, and were now asleep, it seemed; but had left a note for the señores. In this note we were assured that the friendly verger of last night's adventure would be lurking in the neighbourhood of Carmona's house as early as six o'clock, and should we want him we would know where he was to be found.
We took bedrooms, bathed, dressed again, and after hot coffee and rolls decided that is was time to go on guard. To be sure, it was absurdly early; but by this time the Duke's household might be astir, and we must not risk letting Monica be carried away before we had had a chance to practise the gentle art of housebreaking.
The clocks of Seville were spasmodically telling the hour of seven when we entered the narrow and dusky lane of the Calle de las Dueñas. So fast asleep were the shuttered windows that our mission seemed a fool's errand; but as we came in sight of the Duke's closed door the Cherub's messenger loomed out of the shadows.
Unshaven and haggard, his eyes glittered like black beads in the daylight; and he greeted us excitedly. “Señores,” he began, “I was going to look for you at the hotel. A thing has happened. The Señor Colonel told me I must watch the house of His Grace the Duke, and let you know when you came if anyone had been out or in. Who would think of people starting upon a journey before the day is awake? But so it is. The Duke, whom I have seen in other years, has gone away in an automobile with his honourable mother and two other ladies.”
“You are sure it was he?” I asked, completely taken aback.
“Sure, my señorito. The car was a large grey car. And”—his face grew sly as a squirrel's—“I can tell you where it is going, if you would like to know.”
[pg 271] “I want to know all you can tell,” I said.
“Well, the grey car arrived a little before half-past six, I should think. In it there was only the young man who drives, dressed in leather. ‘What is going to happen?’ I asked myself. It seemed better to wait and see than run to the hotel to say, ‘there's an automobile at the door for the Duke,’ and perhaps find it gone, no one could tell where, when I got back. But I do not sleep on my feet. There are always ideas running in my head. I pretended to be strolling past, and stopping for a look at such a fine machine. Perhaps I had matches in my pocket, perhaps not; in any case I asked the young man in leather to give me a light for my cigarette. He did, and it was a natural thing to fall into talk. ‘You make an early start,’ I said. He nodded. ‘Going far?’ ‘To Cadiz to-day, by Jerez.’ That is all, honoured señores; but I tell it for what it is worth. A few minutes later the grand people came out, and the automobile shot away.”
“Did they put on luggage?” I asked.
“All the automobile would hold.”