by grey brows, but one of them had a twinkle lurking and waiting, as
in the corner of his mouth.

'Everyone stretches his legs according to the length of his
coverlet,' he said, and, turning, he courteously raised his hat to
Conyngham, who passed at that moment on his way to the hotel. The
little knot of onlookers broke up, and the boys wandered towards the
fort, before the gate of which a game at bowls was in progress.

'The Padre has a hungry look,' reflected Conyngham. 'Think I'll
invite him to dinner.'

For Geoffrey Horner had succeeded in conveying more money to the man
who had taken his sins upon himself, and while Conyngham possessed
money he usually had the desire to spend it.

Conyngham went to the Fonda de la Marina, which stands to-day--a
house of small comfort and no great outward cleanliness; but, as in
most Spanish inns, the performance was better than the promise, and
the bedroom offered to the traveller was nothing worse than bare and
ill furnished. With what Spanish he at this time possessed the
Englishman made known his wants, and inquired of the means of
prosecuting his journey to Ronda.

'You know the Captain-General Vincente of Ronda?' he asked.

'But. . . yes--by reputation. Who does not in Andalusia?' replied
the host, a stout man, who had once cooked for a military mess at
Gibraltar, and professed himself acquainted with the requirements of
English gentlemen.