"Not quite," Myra answered. "I must see Don Carlos first. But I think
I have decided to show no mercy to El Diablo Cojuelo."
"I don't know what you mean," commented her aunt. "For heaven's sake
be sensible, Myra. It isn't a question of showing mercy to the
brigand, but of saving yourself and your reputation. I shall be in
agonies of anxiety until you have made a decision."
"I shall be in agonies myself until I have decided--and perhaps
afterwards," replied Myra enigmatically. "I shall get up now and get
the ordeal over as quickly as possible."
She wasted no time over her toilet, and save that she was very pale,
she looked her usual lovely self as she left her room and walked
towards the staircase. She halted for a moment in indecision as she
saw Antony Standish on the landing, evidently waiting for her, then
went on.
"I say, Myra, don't cut me," exclaimed Standish appealingly, nervously
fingering his tie. "I've been waiting for you. I--I don't want to try
to excuse myself for what happened up in that cursed brigand's den. My
nerve deserted me completely."
"And you deserted me," interjected Myra coldly.
"You see, there was Don Carlos to be thought of as well as you,
and--and I thought the only hope of being any help was to get away,"
Standish went on lamely. "Myra, I beg of you not to expose me to the
world as a coward, and to forgive me. There are officials down below
waiting to question you about what happened. They've been questioning
me, and I'm afraid I didn't tell them the truth. Now they're
questioning Don Carlos. From what I can make of it, someone has
suggested that Don Carlos is in league with the brigand Cojuelo."
"Who suggested that?" asked Myra, with a convulsive start.
"I don't know, but the officials wanted to know if I saw Don Carlos at
Cojuelo's place, and how I got away," Standish answered. "I told a lot
of lies, and said that Cojuelo let me go when I promised to pay a
ransom of fifty thousand pounds. Myra, you won't give me away and show
me up? I'll shoot myself if you do. Myra, if you say nothing about my
funking things, I'll swear never to breathe a word about your marrying
the brigand fellow."
"That is indeed kind!" commented Myra ironically. "I do not propose to
make public what happened if I can avoid it, but possibly El Diablo
Cojuelo may tell."