And then there emerged timidly a female form; and a soft voice whispered "It is thou, Fonseca!" "Hist!" was the answer; "he waits without.

Be quick; speak not--come." Beatriz recoiled in surprise and alarm at the voice of a stranger; but the man, seizing her by the hand, drew her hastily from the chapel, and hurried her across the garden, through a small postern door, which stood ajar, into an obscure street bordering the convent wall.

Here stood the expectant porter, with a bundle in his hand, which he opened, and took thence a long cloak, such as the women of middling rank in Madrid wore in the winter season, with the customary mantilla or veil.

With these, still without speaking, the stranger hastily shrouded the form of the novice, and once more hurried her on till about a hundred yards from the garden gate he came to a carriage, into which he lifted Beatriz, whispered a few words to the porter, seated himself by the side of the novice, and the vehicle drove rapidly away.
It was some moments before Beatriz could sufficiently recover from her first agitation and terror, to feel alive to all the strangeness of her situation.

She was alone with a stranger; where was Fonseca?
She turned towards her companion.
"Who art thou ?" she said, "whither art thou leading me-and why--" "Why is not Don Martin by thy side?
Pardon me, senora: I have a billet for thee from Fonseca; in a few minutes thou wilt know all." At this time the vehicle came suddenly in the midst of a train of footmen and equipages that choked up the way.