Part 8 (1/2)
”No doubt--yes, no doubt I can,” replied Don Manuel, with deliberation.
”A search of the records should certainly enable us to discover the information which you require; but of course it will take time. Still, I think I may promise you that in a week from now--”
”A week!” exploded George, ”_A week_!” Then he turned to the alcalde, and, calming himself with an effort, said: ”Senor, I am afraid that your friend Don Manuel, here, does not realise the urgency of this matter, or the extreme seriousness of the situation. I want the information asked for, _now, at once_, within the hour at least. Will you have the very great goodness to make this clear to him?”
Whereupon the alcalde drew Don Manuel away into a far corner of the room and, with every evidence of extreme agitation, addressed himself earnestly to the soldier for some five minutes or more, at the end of which the pair returned to where George was standing by the table, fidgeting with his sword-hilt. The arguments and remonstrances of the alcalde seemed to have been effective, for upon their return Don Manuel said:
”I crave your pardon, most n.o.ble senor; I certainly did not understand that the matter was anything like so urgent as it appears to be. I beg that you will be seated, senor, and I will do my best to have the information found for you forthwith.”
Then, as George seated himself, the acting Commandant rang a bell, in response to which a messenger appeared, to whom he gave certain instructions, whereupon the man vanished, and Don Manuel, taking a chair on the opposite side of the table to that at which George was sitting, began a somewhat constrained conversation upon indifferent subjects, which was interrupted by the appearance of a servant with wine and three handsome cups of chased silver. Saint Leger, however, coldly but courteously declined refreshments of any kind; he resolved that he would do nothing which could by any possibility be construed into either tacit consent to methods of delay or an acceptance of proffered friends.h.i.+p; he was there as an enemy and an avenger, and he was determined to keep this fact prominently to the fore; consequently the constraint rapidly grew until, so far as Don Manuel at least was concerned, it became unendurable, and, rising, he begged that his visitors would excuse him, upon the plea that he desired to expedite matters by personally directing the search for the required information.
And apparently the stimulus of his presence was successful, for after an absence of about a quarter of an hour he returned, bearing in his hand a book between the pages of which slips of paper had been inserted to mark the positions of certain entries.
”There,” he exclaimed, in a tone of satisfaction, as he laid the book upon the table and opened it, ”by a stroke of singular good fortune, senor, we have been able to at once lay our hands upon the record which will furnish you with the information you require. Here, for instance, is the first entry, giving the names of the Englishmen who were captured upon the occasion to which you refer. They number forty-three, and their names are as follows.” He proceeded to read out the names of the unfortunate ones, among which occurred that of Hubert Saint Leger--”a namesake of your own, senor,” commented Don Manuel. ”Was he, perchance, a relative of yours?”
”He was my brother, senor,” answered George, tersely. ”Read on, if you please.”
The end of the list was soon reached; and then George said: ”I am obliged to you, senor. Now, in the first place, I must trouble you for a copy of that list, with a statement opposite each name setting forth the manner in which that person was dealt with.”
”Certainly, senor,” answered Don Manuel, politely; ”that information also I believe we can afford you. If you will permit me I will summon my clerk to prepare the list you require.”
George bowed his acquiescence; the clerk was sent for; and after about an hour's work the list was completed and handed to the young Englishman, who took it and, having glanced carefully through it, said:
”I am obliged to you, Don Manuel. I see that, of the forty-three prisoners taken, ten died of their wounds, in prison; seventeen, of whom my brother was one, were sentenced to the galleys, and sixteen were claimed by your Inquisition. Can you afford me any further information with regard to the seventeen who were sentenced to the galleys; as, for example, the name of the galley to which each man was consigned, and where those galleys may be looked for at the present moment?”
”No, senor,” answered Don Manuel, ”I regret to say that I cannot. They were all put on board a s.h.i.+p called the _San Mathias_, and sent in her to Nombre de Dios, where, if you will hear more of them, you must e'en go and enquire.”
”I thank you, senor,” answered George quietly, ignoring a certain suggestion of insolence in the other's concluding remark. ”And now, as to the sixteen who were surrendered to the Inquisition. What can you tell me concerning them?”
”Nothing, senor,” answered Don Manuel, at length displaying some signs of uneasiness. ”When the Holy Office claims a man, that man disappears from the public ken, generally for ever; or if he is seen again it is only when he figures in the _auto-da-fe_, dressed in a San Benito.
Pardon, Senor Capitano, but this is a matter upon which I can afford you no information, and which I must absolutely refuse to discuss with you, or anyone.”
”Very well,” said George, ”be it so. But I suppose you will have no objection to inform me whereabout the Inquisition building is to be found?”
”Where it is to be found?” reiterated Don Manuel. ”Why a.s.suredly--.
But stay. What is your object in requiring that particular bit of information, senor?”
”Merely that I have business there, a call to make,” answered George, imperturbably.
”Business! a call!” reiterated the soldier. ”Surely, senor, it is not possible that you, a heretic, intend to force your sinful way into the presence of the holy fathers, and to--to--. Saints and angels! I will be no party to such a blasphemous proceeding. If that be your intention, senor, seek your information elsewhere; I will not imperil my soul by a.s.sisting, in ever so indirect a manner, an act of sacrilege.”
”As you will, senor,” answered George, calmly. ”But I would have you remember that by delaying me in the performance of the task which I have undertaken, you are jeopardising the city and all in it. If I am delayed--”
”Pray say no more, n.o.ble senor,” interrupted the alcalde. ”There is nothing to be gained, Don Manuel, by withholding from the ill.u.s.trious Adelantado the information which he seeks; for if you will not give it, others will. And--a word in your ear, senor. If anything should happen to these Englishmen while they are in the city, their comrades will most fearfully avenge themselves upon us. They have left us no room to doubt what will happen in such a case, and they are the kind of men who will carry out their threats to the very last letter. Therefore, see to it, my friend, that steps are taken to prevent your soldiery from interfering with or molesting them in any way. For, should anything untoward happen, you will be held responsible. Now, I have warned you.
See to it!”
”_Bueno_! senor alcalde, you are my superior, and since those are your orders, I will obey them,” answered Don Manuel. ”Nevertheless,” he continued, ”if the Commandant were well enough to take the command, I know what he would do. He would arrest and imprison these audacious strangers, and defy their comrades to do their worst. Moreover, senor, I should not like to be in your shoes when the news of this disgraceful business reaches the ears of his Excellency the Viceroy.”
And, so saying, he bowed with exaggerated politeness to George and the alcalde, and with a fierce twist of his moustache strode swaggeringly out of the room.