The question is how to get a letter into her hands."
"I think I might manage that, Gerald. It is not likely that the
duenna ever happened to notice me. I might therefore put on any
sort of disguise as a beggar and take my place on the road as she
goes to chapel, and somehow or other get your note into her hand. I
have heard Spanish girls are very quick at acting upon the smallest
sign, and if I can manage to catch her eye for a moment she may
probably be ingenious enough to afford me an opportunity of passing
the note to her."
"That might be done," Gerald agreed. "We will at once get disguises.
I will dress myself as an old soldier, with one arm in a sling and
a patch over my eye; you dress up in somewhat the same fashion as
a sailor boy. It is about twelve miles from here to Ribaldo's place.
We can walk that easily enough, dress ourselves up within a mile
or two of the place, and then go on and reconnoitre the ground."
"I should advise you to write your note before you start; it may be
that some unexpected opportunity for handing it to her may present
itself."
"I will do that; but let us sally out first and pick up two suits
at some dealer in old clothes. There will be sure to be two or
three of these in the poorer quarter."
The disguises were procured without difficulty, and putting them
in a small wallet they started before noon on their walk.
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