Unhappily for him, the series of his troubles had not yet come to an end, as he had rather prematurely flattered himself.
At the moment when the three men reached the outer door, and were about to descend the few steps which led into the court of the cabildo:
"There they are!" said a voice.
Immediately the two sentinels placed at the door crossed their guns and barred the passage.
"Come, what now?" murmured the painter, with vexation.
"What does this mean?" demanded the count, haughtily.
"It means," answered a man, stepping forward, who had been hitherto in the darkness, "that I arrest you in the name of the country, and that you are my prisoners."
He who had just spoken this was Captain Quiroga.
"We prisoners!" exclaimed the three men.
"Yes, you," coldly resumed the captain, "you, Don Jaime de Zúñiga, Count de Mendoza, and you, Captain Don Lucio Ortega, accused of high treason."