"Her consent is as unnecessary as the sanction of the law. It is just because they are favorite servants—petted, pampered, and spoiled servants—that I wish to part with them. Such servants are nuisances in the family circle."
"The senor is right, always right! but—shall we have any difficulty with the negroes?"
"None whatever. You will take them in their beds."
"Will they not make an outcry and bring the house upon us?"
"My excellent but too cautious friend, did you never hear of chloroform?"
"Surely, senor."
"It is one of the greatest blessings modern science has conferred upon us. It not only saves much pain in surgical operations, but in other operations it actually saves life. The experienced burglar now, when he enters a house for the purpose of robbery, instead of cutting the throat of a wakeful inmate, simply administers chloroform, and soothes his restlessness so perfectly that he falls into a happy state of insensibility, while he, the burglar, pursues his calling undisturbed and at leisure."
"Well, senor?"
"Well, don't you understand? I will conduct you and such of your men as you can trust to the castle; admit you secretly; lead you to the bedside of the negroes, who are sure at this hour to be in a deep sleep; administer the chloroform to send them into a deeper one; and so transport them to the vessel."
"And by that time we will be ready to raise anchor and sail. And when our sleepers awake we shall be safely on our way to Cuba."