They all were silent as Kut-le led the way down the side trail and by a circuitous path to the monastery. He made his way up through a rude, grass-grown path to a cloistered front that was in fairly good repair. Here they dismounted and waited while Kut-le pulled a long bell-rope that hung beside a battered door. There was not long to wait before the door opened and a white-faced old padre stood staring in amazement at the little group.
Kut-le talked rapidly, now in Spanish and now in English, and at last the padre turned to Rhoda with a smile.
"And you?" he asked. "You are quite willing?"
"Yes," said Rhoda, though her voice trembled in spite of her.
"And you?" asked the padre, turning to Jack and Billy.
The two men nodded.
"Then enter!" said the padre.
And with Cesca and Molly bringing up the rear, the wedding party followed the padre down a long adobe hallway across a courtyard where palms still shaded a trickling fountain, into a dim chapel, with grim adobe walls and pews hacked and worn by centuries of use.
The padre was excited and pleased.
"If," he said, "you all will sit, I will call my two choir-boys who are at work in the olive orchard. They are not far away. We are always ready to hold service for such as may wish to attend."