A month later, Hogan sends Sharpe a letter telling him that the French will soon be returning to Salamanca and that he must pack and leave. That evening, Father Curtis returns Sharpe's stolen rifle. Curtis tells Sharpe that one of his correspondents in Paris has discovered that Leroux has a multi-lingual sister named Hélène. Curtis believes that this must be La Marquesa. Hogan does as well, and asks Sharpe to feed her false information that Wellington intends to speedily retreat to Portugal, while remaining with one division as rearguard to fool the French into believing otherwise. Sharpe realises that Curtis is El Mirador, not La Marquesa. Whilst hoping that she is not a French spy, he does deceive her later that evening.