"In heaven's name, what is the matter?" he asked.
"What is the matter!" the chief replied, in a voice choked with emotion, "that woman—that serpent whom we have weakly failed to crush—"
"Well, what of her?"
"Oh, I have but this moment recollected a horrible threat she made. Good heavens! good heavens! What is to be done?"
"Explain yourself, my friend; you quite terrify me."
"By her orders, Doña Rosario this very night, was to be carried off; and who knows if, furious at my escape from her assassins, that woman has not by this time put her to death?"
"Oh, that is frightful!" Don Gregorio cried. "What is to be done?"
"Oh, that woman!" the wounded man replied; "and not to be able to act, or to know how to thwart her horrible schemes."
"Let us fly to Doña Rosario's residence!" Don Gregorio said.
"Alas! you see I am wounded; I can scarcely support myself."