Half-an-hour or so later, and just as we had finished our second bottle of champagne, Antoine again made his appearance to inform us that Hermaños and his companions had arrived and were awaiting an interview in the room above mentioned. I saw Fernandez' mouth twitch and then set firm; there was also an ominous twinkle in his eyes as he said—
"Come with me, my friend, and we will interview them."
"You will remember the promise you have given me?" I said, laying my hand upon his arm.
"You will find that I shall keep it," he replied curtly.
I followed him from the room along the hall to a door on the right, at which Antoine was waiting.
"Have my instructions concerning the guard been obeyed?" he asked in a low voice before he turned the handle.
"They have, Excellency," Antoine replied.
Then we passed into the room.
If I live to be a hundred I shall not forget the scene that followed. Hermaños was standing on the opposite side of the room, and grouped about him were three men whom, to the best of my knowledge, I had never seen before. It is possible they might have been Hermaños' assistants on that memorable night when we had secured the President, but as they then wore masks I cannot speak on that point with any degree of certainty.
The light in the room was not particularly good, and for a moment I thought that Hermaños did not realize who it was that entered the room. Had he done so he would scarcely have taken those two or three quick steps forward. When he grasped the situation his surprise was overwhelming.