"The old lady now turned to me, perceiving that I was the officer, and prayed 'el santo de las santos,' and all the saints in heaven might bless us, for our courageous and timely succour.
"'We are on our way to Ciudad Real from Madridejos, and were attacked in the wood. My señor escudero was shot, our outriders fled; and the ladrones would undoubtedly have maltreated me—not that I cared for myself, señor, but my dear little goddaughter—la nina—the child—la nina Estella. It was all for her that I trembled'—and so forth.
"By the moon, which glinted for a time through the hazy clouds, I could perceive that the speaker was a middle-aged lady, very dark complexioned; and, though not handsome, possessing a tolerably good, even stately presence; and that her goddaughter, whose features were blanched by terror, had fine dark Spanish eyes, and a graceful figure, though somewhat undersized.
"I begged of them to be no longer alarmed.
"'Señoras,' said I, 'my detachment is at La Guardia, close at hand; allow me to offer my escort to you, so far as Ciudad Real, for that, also, is my destination.'
"'We owe you a thousand thanks, señor oficial,' replied the gentle voice of la nina Estella, who seemed to be somewhere about eighteen. 'Oh, I shall never forget that fellow's red beard! Madre de Dios, what a size and colour it was!'
"'O ho! then our friend was Sancho himself.'
"'Ah, señor,' said the old lady, 'how happily we will avail ourselves of your kind offer.'
"'Good—I shall have pleasant companions for the remainder of this most unpleasant journey,' thought I, beginning to repack the half-rifled mails.
"'We are travelling in great haste,' said the señora. 'Is your detachment composed of horse or foot, caballero?'