Owen advanced to a grated window and tapped. Immediately the burly face of Francisco showed itself thereat, his white teeth glancing merrily in a glimmer of moonshine. A bar, previously filed through, was removed from the window, and Owen, taking him by the collar to assist his egress, drew him through as far as the third button of his waistcoat, where he stuck for a moment; but the substance was elastic, and a lusty tug landed him in the middle of the narrow street. Receiving Frank's instructions given in a hurried whisper, to go at once to where the boat lay, and cast her off, ready to shove off on the instant, he nodded and disappeared in the darkness, while Owen and the Major made for the Governor's house.
Arrived near it, Owen gave a low whistle--a peculiar one, that my grandfather remembered to have heard him practising to Juana on the previous day--when, to the unutterable surprise of the Major, _two_ veiled figures appeared on the balcony.
"Why, Owen, boy, d'ye see!" quoth the Major, stuttering with anxiety, "who can the other be?--her maid, eh?"--indistinct stage recollections of intriguing waiting-women dawning on him.
"Ahem!--why, you see, Major," whispered Owen, "she wouldn't come alone--couldn't manage it at all, in fact, without the knowledge of her aunt, who sleeps in the next room; so I persuaded Carlota _to come too_, and gave her a sort of half promise that _you_ would _take care of her_." Here, wishing to cut short a rather awkward explanation, he ran under the balcony--one of the ladies dropped a cord--and Owen producing from under his coat a rope ladder, (he had sat up all night making it), attached it, and, as soon as it was drawn up, ascended, motioning to my astounded grandfather to keep it steady below. The Major, after a moment's desperate half-resolve to make a hasty retreat from the perilous incidents which seemed momentarily to thicken round him, and leave his reckless friend to his fate, yielded to the force of circumstances, and did what was required of him. Then Owen lifted the ladies, one after the other, over the railing of the balcony, and they swiftly descended. First came Juana, who, scarcely touching the Major's offered hand, lit on the pavement like gossamer; then Carlota descended, and making, in her trepidation, a false step near the bottom, came so heavily on the Major, that they rolled together on the stones. By the time they were on their feet again, Owen had slipped down the ladder, and, taking Juana under his arm, set off rapidly towards the bay.