第15章

Ihaveobtainedthismuchofmercyforherbecauseofmyfaithfulservicestothechurchandbysecretinfluence，thatwhenIgiveherthecupofwaterbeforetheworkisdone，Imaymixpoisonwithitandtouchthelipsofthebabewithpoison，sothattheirendisswift。

Imaydothisandyethavenosinuponmysoul。

Ihavemypardonunderseal。

Helpmethentobeaninnocentmurderess，andtosavethissinnerfromherlastagoniesonearth。’

IcannotsetdownthefeelingswithwhichIlistenedtothistaleofhorror，forwordscouldnotcarrythem。

Istoodaghastseekingananswer，andadreadfulthoughtenteredmymind。

’IsthiswomannamedIsabelladeSiguenza？’Iasked。

’Thatnamewashersintheworld，’sheanswered，’thoughhowyouknowitIcannotguess。’

’Weknowmanythingsinthishouse，mother。

Saynow，canthisIsabellabesavedbymoneyorbyinterest？’

’Itisimpossible；hersentencehasbeenconfirmedbytheTribunalofMercy。

Shemustdieandwithintwohours。

Willyounotgivethepoison？’

’IcannotgiveitunlessIknowitspurpose，mother。

Thismaybeabarrentale，andthemedicinemightbeusedinsuchafashionthatIshouldfallbeneaththelaw。

AtonepriceonlycanIgiveit，anditisthatIamtheretoseeitused。’

Shethoughtawhileandanswered:’Itmaybedone，forasitchancesthewordingofmyabsolutionwillcoverit。

Butyoumustcomecowledasapriest，thatthosewhocarryoutthesentencemayknownothing。

StillotherswillknowandIwarnyouthatshouldyouspeakofthematteryouyourselfwillmeetwithmisfortune。

TheChurchavengesitselfonthosewhobetrayitssecrets，senor。’

’AsonedayitssecretswillavengethemselvesupontheChurch，’I

answeredbitterly。

’Andnowletmeseekafittingdrug——onethatisswift，yetnottooswift，lestyourhoundsshouldseethemselvesbaffledofthepreybeforealltheirdevilryisdone。

Hereissomethingthatwilldothework，’andIheldupaphialthatIdrewfromacaseofsuchmedicines。

Come，veilyourself，mother，andletusbegoneuponthis“errandofmercy。“’

Sheobeyed，andpresentlyweleftthehouseandwalkedawayswiftlythroughthecrowdedstreetstillwecametotheancientpartofthecityalongtheriver’sedge。

Herethewomanledmetoawharfwhereaboatwasinwaitingforher。

Weenteredit，andwererowedforamileormoreupthestreamtilltheboathaltedatalanding-

placebeneathahighwall。

Leavingit，wecametoadoorinthewallonwhichmycompanionknockedthrice。

Presentlyashutterinthewoodworkwasdrawn，andawhitefacepeepedthroughthegratingandspoke。

Mycompanionansweredinalowvoice，andaftersomedelaythedoorwasopened，andIfoundmyselfinalargewalledgardenplantedwithorangetrees。

Thentheabbessspoketome。

’Ihaveledyoutoourhouse，’shesaid。

’Ifyouknowwhereyouare，andwhatitsnamemaybe，foryourownsakeIprayyouforgetitwhenyouleavethesedoors。’

Imadenoanswer，butlookedroundthedimanddewygarden。

HereitwasdoubtlessthatdeGarciahadmetthatunfortunatewhomustdiethisnight。

AwalkofahundredpacesbroughtustoanotherdoorinthewallofalonglowbuildingofMoorishstyle。

Heretheknockingandthequestioningwererepeatedatmorelength。

Thenthedoorwasopened，andIfoundmyselfinapassage，illlighted，longandnarrow，inthedepthsofwhichIcouldseethefiguresofnunsflittingtoandfrolikebatsinatomb。

Theabbesswalkeddownthepassagetillshecametoadoorontherightwhichsheopened。

Itledintoacell，andheresheleftmeinthedark。

FortenminutesormoreIstayedthere，apreytothoughtsthatIhadratherforget。

Atlengththedooropenedagain，andshecamein，followedbyatallpriestwhosefaceIcouldnotsee，forhewasdressedinthewhiterobeandhoodoftheDominicansthatleftnothingvisibleexcepthiseyes。

’Greeting，myson，’hesaid，whenhehadscannedmeforawhile。

’Theabbessmotherhastoldmeofyourerrand。

Youarefullyoungforsuchatask。’

’WereIoldIshouldnotloveitbetter，father。

Youknowthecase。

Iamaskedtoprovideadeadlydrugforacertainmercifulpurpose。

Ihaveprovidedthatdrug，butImustbetheretoseethatitisputtoproperuse。’

’Youareverycautious，myson。

TheChurchisnomurderess。

Thiswomanmustdiebecausehersinisflagrant，andoflatesuchwickednesshasbecomecommon。

Therefore，aftermuchthoughtandprayer，andmanysearchingstofindameansofmercy，sheiscondemnedtodeathbythosewhosenamesaretoohightobespoken。

I，alas，amheretoseethesentencecarriedoutwithacertainmitigationwhichhasbeenallowedbythemercyofherchiefjudge。

Itseemsthatyourpresenceisneedfultothisactoflove，thereforeIsufferit。

ThemotherabbesshaswarnedyouthatevildogsthefeetofthosewhorevealthesecretsoftheChurch。

ForyourownsakeIprayyoutolaythatwarningtoheart。’

’Iamnobabbler，father，sothecautionisnotneeded。

Onewordmore。

Thisvisitshouldbewellfeed，themedicineiscostly。’

’Fearnot，physician，’themonkansweredwithanoteofscorninhisvoice；’nameyoursum，itshallbepaidtoyou。’

’Iasknomoney，father。

IndeedIwouldpaymuchtobefarawayto-night。

IaskonlythatImaybeallowedtospeakwiththisgirlbeforeshedies。’

’What！’hesaid，starting，’surelyyouarenotthatwickedman？

Ifso，youareboldindeedtoriskthesharingofherfate。’

’No，father，Iamnotthatman。

IneversawIsabelladeSiguenzaexceptonce，andIhaveneverspokentoher。

IamnotthemanwhotrickedherbutIknowhim；heisnamedJuandeGarcia。’

’Ah！’hesaidquickly，’shewouldnevertellhisrealname，evenunderthreatoftorture。

Poorerringsoul，shecouldbefaithfulinherunfaith。

Ofwhatwouldyouspeaktoher？’

’Iwishtoaskherwhitherthismanhasgone。

Heismyenemy，andIwouldfollowhimasIhavealreadyfollowedhimfar。

Hehasdoneworsebymeandminethanbythispoorgirleven。

Grantmyrequest，father，thatImaybeabletoworkmyvengeanceonhim，andwithminetheChurch’salso。’

’“Vengeanceismine，“saiththeLord；“Iwillrepay。“

Yetitmaybe，son，thattheLordwillchooseyouastheinstrumentofhiswrath。

Anopportunityshallbegivenyoutospeakwithher。

Nowputonthisdress’——andhehandedmeawhiteDominicanhoodandrobe——’andfollowme。’

’First，’Isaid，’letmegivethismedicinetotheabbess，forI

willhavenohandinitsadministering。

Takeit，mother，andwhenthetimecomes，pourthecontentsofthephialintoacupofwater。

Then，havingtouchedthemouthandtongueofthebabewiththefluid，giveittothemothertodrinkandbesurethatshedoesdrinkit。

Beforethebricksarebuiltupaboutthembothwillsleepsound，nevertowakeagain。’

’Iwilldoit，’murmuredtheabbess；’havingabsolutionIwillbebold，anddoitforloveandmercy’ssake！’

’Yourheartistoosoft，sister。

Justiceismercy，’saidthemonkwithasigh。

’Alasforthefrailtyofthefleshthatwarsagainstthespirit！’

ThenIclothedmyselfintheghastlylookingdress，andtheytooklampsandmotionedtometofollowthem。

Silentlywewentdownthelongpassage，andaswewentIsawtheeyesofthedwellersinthislivingtombwatchuspassthroughthegratingsoftheircelldoors。

Littlewonderthatthewomanabouttodiehadstriventoescapefromsuchahomebacktotheworldoflifeandlove！

Yetforthatcrimeshemustperish。

SurelyGodwillrememberthedoingsofsuchmenasthesepriests，andthenationthatfostersthem。

And，indeed，Hedoesremember，forwhereisthesplendourofSpainto-day，andwherearethecruelritesshegloriedin？

HereinEnglandtheirfettersarebrokenforever，andinstrivingtobindthemfastuponusfreeEnglishmensheisbrokenalso——nevertobewholeagain。

Atthefarendofthepassagewefoundastairdownwhichwepassed。

Atitsfootwasaniron-bounddoorthatthemonkunlockedandlockedagainuponthefurtherside。

Thencameanotherpassagehollowedinthethicknessofthewall，andaseconddoor，andwewereintheplaceofdeath。

Itwasavaultlowanddamp，andthewatersoftheriverwasheditsouterwall，forIcouldheartheirmurmuringinthesilence。

Perhapstheplacemayhavemeasuredtenpacesinlengthbyeightbroad。

Fortherestitsroofwassupportedbymassivecolumns，andononesidetherewasaseconddoorthatledtoaprisoncell。

Atthefurtherendofthisgloomyden，thatwasdimlylightedbytorchesandlamps，twomenwithhoodedheads，anddrapedincoarseblackgowns，wereatwork，silentlymixinglimethatsentupahotsteamuponthestagnantair。

Bytheirsidesweresquaresofdressedstonerangedneatlyagainsttheendofthevault，andbeforethemwasanichecutinthethicknessofthewallitself，shapedlikealargecoffinsetuponitssmallerend。

Infrontofthisnichewasplacedamassivechairofchestnutwood。

Inoticedalsothattwoothersuchcoffin-shapednicheshadbeencutinthissamewall，andfilledinwithsimilarblocksofwhitishstone。

Onthefaceofeachwasadategravedindeepletters。

Onehadbeensealedupsomethirtyyearsbefore，andoneharduponahundred。

Thesetwomenweretheonlyoccupantsofthevaultwhenweenteredit，butpresentlyasoundofsoftandsolemnsingingstoledownthesecondpassage。

Thenthedoorwasopened，themasonmonksceasedlabouringattheheapoflime，andthesoundofsinginggrewloudersothatIcouldcatchtherefrain。

ItwasthatofaLatinhymnforthedying。

Nextthroughtheopendoorcamethechoir，eightveilednunswalkingtwobytwo，andrangingthemselvesoneithersideofthevaulttheyceasedtheirsinging。

Afterthemfollowedthedoomedwoman，guardedbytwomorenuns，andlastofallapriestbearingacrucifix。

Thismanworeablackrobe，andhisthinhalf-

frenziedfacewasuncovered。

AlltheseandotherthingsInoticedandremembered，yetatthetimeitseemedtomethatIsawnothingexceptthefigureofthevictim。

Iknewheragain，althoughIhadseenherbutonceinthemoonlight。

Shewaschangedindeed，herlovelyfacewasfullerandthegreattormentedeyesshonelikestarsagainstitswaxenpallor，relievedbythecarmineofherlipsalone。