being another,whom she did not despise. He was no mere hoarder of wealth, using it asa means to enslave his less fortunate fellow-creatures.
Contraras came in one afternoon in a very cheerful mood. She looked athim eagerly. She could read his countenance pretty well by now.
"You have something to tell me, Contraras?"
The old man smiled. "Yes, my dear, I have got what we wanted. You canwalk in boldly. There will be no smuggling through the back door,although we could have managed that, if the other had failed."
"Did you get it in the quarter you expected?"
"Yes; I had a little tussle with del Pineda, but I overcame hisscruples. Besides, he is considerably in my debt. I assured him thathe would never be accused of complicity, that I would take all the blameon my own shoulders."
He rubbed his hands and chuckled softly.
"What does Contraras, a man of means and position, with powerfulconnections in Spain, know of the secret sentiments of MademoiselleDelmonte, a charming young lady of wealth, whom he has met abroad?Mademoiselle Delmonte asks for his good offices in a certain matter of amost, apparently, innocent nature. He places himself at her disposal,and secures what she wants through the agency of a certain Duke who isequally ignorant of her real purposes."
A dreamy look stole into the young woman's eyes. She spoke in a lowvoice, as if she were muttering to herself.
"A week to wait, only just one little week. And then, if all goes as wethink and hope--the dawn of the new era! But I shall not live to seeit."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
Moreno met Isobel and her maid at the railway station, and drove them tothe home of his friends, the Godwins, who lived in a respectable but notparticularly fashionable quarter of Madrid.
Mrs Godwin, a buxom and kind-faced woman, received the girl with openarms. Mr Godwin had discreetly absented himself during the firstmeeting of the two women.
"So delighted to see you, Miss Clandon. I was a very intimate friend ofAndres' mother. Any friend of his is very welcome. I shall do my bestto make you happy during your stay here. I am afraid the accommodationis not what you have been used to. We are a little cramped for room."
A dear good honest _bourgeoise_ creature. Isobel took to her at once.She felt the _milieu_ was not quite what she could have desired, butMoreno had done all he could, most probably out of his old friendshipfor Farquhar. Whatever discomforts she might have to endure, well--shehad brought them on herself by embarking on this daring adventure.
Mr Godwin came in presently, a large, heavy man, who greeted her withgreat gravity. She learned afterwards that he had been connected withthe wine trade, and had retired from active business on a respectablecompetence.
Moreno took his departure as soon as he could. He had several matterson hand, besides looking after a wandering maiden of a romantic turn ofmind.
Isobel stayed him at the door. "When am I going to see Guy?" shewhispered.
The young journalist looked at her kindly. He remembered his own tooshort-lived romance. That whisper had come straight from her heart.
"Ah, that is for you," he said. "You know, you confessed you were alittle doubtful about how he would look upon it. Will you ask Lady Maryto write him the news, or would you rather that I should?"
Isobel interrupted him eagerly. "Oh, would you? Lady Mary is adarling, and devoted to us both. But if I write to her, and she has towrite to Guy, it may be ages before we meet. And, besides," she addedwith the unconscious guile of a woman, "in certain things, men are somuch better diplomatists than women. I am sure you could put everythingfrom a reasonable point of view, present everything in quite afavourable light. I do not want him to think I am a masculine sort ofperson, an enlightened female who goes tearing about all over the worldafter a man she loves."
Moreno was a very kind-hearted fellow. He could not resist that wistfullook in the beautiful dark eyes. The girl was alone in the world. Shehad just lost her father; Guy was now her sheet-anchor.
"I say, if you want to see him quickly, why not send a note round to theEmbassy, just giving him your address, and saying simply, `I am here'?"
But Isobel rather shrank from that. It seemed too bold, perhaps alittle unmaidenly. She had always been educated in the belief that awoman should never make advances. Advances might be made through athird party, perhaps, if they were made with discretion.
"But you could explain it all so much better than I could, Mr Moreno,how the whole thing was led up to by your letter to Lady Mary."
Moreno looked at his watch. "I was going to leave Madrid in half anhour. Well, I can catch a train three hours later, it won't make muchdifference. I will be off at once to the Embassy, and catch Rossettthere, if not, at his flat. You, of course, can see him at any time,to-day or to-morrow?"
"A thousand thanks," replied Isobel, with her charming smile. "Yes, Ishall not stir out much anyway. But I will keep in the two whole days."
"Mrs Godwin, I warn you, will insist on showing you the sights ofMadrid."
"I will resist her," said Isobel firmly.
Moreno smiled, and said good-bye. It was a little pathetic, he thought,the patient, loving woman ready to wait the man's convenience. Ever theway with true love.
A brief drive to the Embassy in the Calle Fernando el Santo, a hastilypencilled note sent up to Rossett. Half an hour later, the two men wereseated at a different rendezvous, for this time Moreno was not in hisworking-man's dress. He had to be very cautious.
Moreno went to the point at once. "I have news that will startle you,Mr Rossett. Your fiancee Miss Clandon, is in Madrid at this moment."He named the respectable but unfashionable quarter in which the girl hadtaken up her abode.
"What?" shouted Guy Rossett in his astonishment. It was just the sameejaculation he had used when he learned that Violet Hargrave was inSpain. The vocabulary of the average Englishman is very limited when hehas to express sudden emotion. And Guy was quite the average type.
"Of course you are very surprised. Well, I am afraid it is all due tome. You remember some time ago I begged you to get out of this place.You refused. I took it on myself to write to your sister to use yourfather's influence to get you recalled. That fell through too."
"It was very kind of you to interfere in my private affairs, MrMoreno," observed Rossett stiffly.
"You are a bit of responsibility to me, Mr Rossett," replied thejournalist in his usual imperturbable fashion. "I will tell you franklyI should be very glad to see the back of you to-morrow, for your ownsake--" He added in a lower voice, "Still more for the sake of the girlwho loves you as much as you love her."
"Forgive me," cried Rossett hastily. "I quite appreciate that you meanvery well to both of us."
"Thank you," said Moreno. "Well, to get on with my story. I have avery old chum, one Maurice Farquhar who happens to be a cousin of yourfiancee. One night, in his chambers, I hinted that danger wasthreatening you here. It seems he told Miss Clandon. As I have stated,I wrote to your sister. The two women put their heads together. MissClandon's father died. She had no longer any ties binding her toEngland. She was mad to come out here to be near you. As men of theworld, we might say, the unreasoning caprice of a very loving woman."
"It was very sweet and dear of her," said Guy. There was a little breakin his voice as he spoke. "But I am interrupting you in your story.Please go on."
"There is not much more to tell. As I have said, the two women puttheir heads together. Lady Mary sent for Farquhar to consult him as tohow Miss Clandon could get to Spain. She felt if she consulted you, youwould, under the circumstances, have vetoed the project altogether."
"I don't think there is the slightest doubt I should," said Rossett,quite frankly.
"I agree. Well, they were not going to give you the chance. They tookmatters into their own hands. Farquhar knew nothing about Spain; hewrote to me to ask me if I could help them. Well, I helped them. Iwent over to London, saw your sister and Miss Clando
n, and arranged forthe journey. I met her at the station to-day, took her to the house ofsome very respectable English people whom I have known from my boyhood,not people of your class, nor of Miss Clandon's. But I think there shewill be very quiet and comfortable."
Guy Rossett leaned across the table and held out his hand.
"A thousand thanks, Mr Moreno. After this, we must be firm friends.My brave little Isobel, how plucky and daring of her. And you took allthis trouble!"
There was no suspicion in his frank tones, but Moreno liked to clear upeverything as he went on.
"Yes, it took up a good deal of my time, but I didn't grudge it. I sawyour fiancee and sister dining one night with you at the Savoy, but hadnever spoken to them in my life. But Farquhar is an