Loyal Heart raised his head, like a man suddenly awakened from sleep.
His mother and Doña Luz were standing before him, their arms interlaced, and leaning upon each other.
He cast upon them a melancholy glance, and replied with a stifled sigh,—
"Alas! mother, tomorrow is the last day. I have as yet been able to imagine nothing that can save Doña Luz, and restore her uncle to her."
The two women started.
"Tomorrow!" Doña Luz murmured; "that is true; it is tomorrow that that man is to come!"
"What will you do, my son?"
"How can I tell, mother?" he replied impatiently. "Oh! this man is stronger than I am. He has defeated all my plans. Up to the present moment we have not possibly been able to discover his retreat. All our researches have proved useless."
"Loyal Heart," the young lady said, softly, "will you then abandon me to the mercy of this bandit? Why, then, did you save me?"
"Oh!" the young man cried, "that reproach kills me."