"Aware of it?" Colonel
Grant laughed shortly. "Samoval is Souza's principal agent - the
most dangerous man in Lisbon and the most subtle. His sympathies
are French through and through."
Sir Terence stared at him in frank amazement, in utter unbelief.
"Oh, impossible!" he ejaculated at last.
"I saw Samoval for the first time," said Colonel Grant by way of
answer, "in Oporto at the time of Soult's occupation. He did not
call himself Samoval just then, any more than I called myself
Colquhoun Grant. He was very active therein the French interest;
I should indeed be more precise and say in Bonaparte's interest,
for he was the man instrumental in disclosing to Soult the Bourbon
conspiracy which was undermining the marshal's army. You do not
know, perhaps, that French sympathy runs in Samoval's family. You
may not be aware that the Portuguese Marquis of Alorna, who holds
a command in the Emperor's army, and is at present with Massena at
Salamanca, is Samoval's cousin."
"But," faltered Sir Terence, "Count Samoval has been a regular
visitor here for the past three months."
"So I understand," said Grant coolly. "If I had known of it before
I should have warned you. But, as you are aware, I have been in
Spain on other business.
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