"Sirrah!" he said, "I need not thy counsel; if, when asked, thy humility will not permit thee to give it, I marvel at thy presumption to offer thy opinion now."
"Moor, what are thy conditions?" he continued, bracing all his energies to a firm resolution.
"The price I shall expect," replied the renegade, "you are sensible must be commensurate with the importance of my assistance."
"Certainly," exclaimed Gomez Arias, with a sneer: "what you consider a just remuneration will no doubt be some exorbitant extortion."
"Christian!" retorted the renegade, "to show you that I place confidence in the magnitude of my service, I shall leave the reward entirely to your generosity,—and now listen. At midnight you must be with Theodora at the extremity of El cerro de los Martires;[41] the distance is short from Granada, and can therefore soon be traversed. There I will wait for you, and there you may likewise meet the noble Moor that employs me."
"I am resolved," cried Gomez Arias. "Yes, I will meet you at midnight then"—and rising, he was about to withdraw, when the renegade gently detaining him—
"Stay," he said; "I must have a pledge to present to my master."
"What dost thou demand?" asked Don Lope.
"That ring," returned Bermudo, pointing to one that sparkled on the hand of Gomez Arias.
"I cannot part with this gem; it is a bauble, but one I must preserve; ask for another boon three times as valuable, and it shall be granted thee."