Standish drew a breath of relief and wiped his moist brow.
"Thank you," he said. "I'll come down with you, if I may, and perhaps
I may be able to help you through with the officials."
"I hardly think I shall need your help," responded Myra coldly.
For all her outward appearance of self-possession, she was trembling
inwardly, and her heart was beating unsteadily as she went down to the
hall, to find Don Carlos and three officers in somewhat elaborate
uniforms engaged in earnest conversation around a table, beside which
was also seated another officer whom Myra recognised as the one who had
led the Guardia Civil who had rescued her.
All rose immediately she appeared, and bowed courteously, and the
junior officer hastened to place a chair for her.
"You will pardon us for troubling you so soon after your ordeal, Miss
Rostrevor, but it is necessary that we ask you some questions in regard
to El Diablo Cojuelo," said one of the officers in excellent English.
Myra merely inclined her head and seated herself, darting a glance at
Don Carlos. His face was pale and his expression was as impassive and
inscrutable as a Sphinx.
"This officer, who led the company which found you in the mountains
yesterday, states that you were then apparently running away from Don
Carlos de Ruiz," continued the superior official. "He also states that
he understood you to assert positively that Don Carlos is El Diablo
Cojuelo. Is that so, señorita?"
"If you have no love, show no mercy." The words of the note she had
found on her breast flashed back into Myra's mind in the fraction of a
second that she hesitated before answering the question on which the
fate of Don Carlos depended. And in that fraction of a second she
found the answer to many questions she had put to herself.
"What an absurd suggestion!" she exclaimed with scarce a tremor in her
voice. "The officer is quite mistaken, but the fault is probably mine.
I was so agitated that I did not know what I was saying, and was
obsessed with the idea that El Diablo Cojuelo was close behind me."
Don Carlos sprang to his feet with an exultant laugh.
"You hear, señors!" he exclaimed. "I thought it would be more
convincing if I left it to Miss Rostrevor to assure you the fantastic
suggestion is without foundation. Now I am willing to answer any
questions and tell you everything. Are you satisfied now? The Señor
Standish has told you that I was flung into the cell in which he was
imprisoned after he had tried to kill Cojuelo, and that Cojuelo
afterwards threatened to torture him and shoot me unless we agreed to
his terms."