estate to a Church, which can only hope to live in its present form as
long as superstition and crass ignorance prevail.

"I cannot help thinking," he went on, "that Francisco dimly perceived
that he was the victim of a careful plot--one sees something like that in
all these ramifications. Three million pesetas are worth scheming for.
They would make a difference in any cause. They might make all the
difference at this moment in Spain. Kingdoms have been won and lost for
less than three million pesetas. I believe he was watched in Cuba, and
his return was known. Or perhaps he was brought back by some clever
forgery. Who knows? At all events, it was known that he had left his
money nearly all to Leon."

"We will ask Leon," suggested Marcos, "what reason his father gave for
making a new will."

"And he will lie to you," said Sarrion.

"But he will lie badly," murmured Marcos, with his leisurely reflective
smile.

"I think," said Sarrion, after a pause, "nay, I feel sure that Francisco
left his fortune to Juanita at the last moment, as a forlorn
hope--leaving it to you and me to get her out of the hobble in which he
placed her. You know it was always his hope that you and Juanita should
marry."

But Marcos' face hardened, and he had nothing to say to this reiteration
of the dead man's hope. The silence was not again broken before Leon de
Mogente came in.