Was that General Pacheco who turned away as we came ?" "Yes," answered Sarrion.

"Why do you ask ?" "I have heard that he is to receive a command in the army of the North." Sarrion made a grimace, uncomplimentary to that very smart soldier General Pacheco, and at the foot of the stairs he stopped to speak to a friend.

He spoke in French and named the man by his baptismal name; for this was a Frenchman, named Deulin, a person of mystery, supposed to be in the diplomatic service in some indefinite position.

With him was an Englishman, who greeted Marcos as a friend.
"What do you make of all this ?" asked Sarrion, addressing himself to the Englishman, who, however, rather cleverly passed the question on to the older man with a slow, British gesture.
"I make of it--that they only want a little money to make Don Carlos king," said Deulin.
"What is Evasio Mon doing in Madrid ?" asked Sarrion.
"Raising the money, or spending it," replied the Frenchman, with a shrug of the shoulders, as if it were no business of his.
They passed up-stairs together, but had not gone far when Marcos said the Englishman's name without raising his voice.
"Cartoner." He turned, and Marcos ran up three steps to meet him.
"Who is the prelate with the face of a fox-terrier ?" he asked.
"He represents the Vatican.

Is he with Mon ?" Marcos nodded an affirmative, and, turning, descended the stairs.
"I had better get back to Pampeluna," he said to his father.
The train for the Northern frontier leaves Madrid in the evening, and at this time no man knew who might be the next to take a ticket for France.
The Sarrions made their preparations to depart the same evening, and, arriving early, secured a compartment to themselves.