f up to cruelty
as to a sport; yea, thought that I did God service by destroying the
creatures whom He had made; I who now dare not destroy a gnat, lest I
harm a being more righteous than myself? Was I mad? If I was, how then
was I all that while as prudent as I am this day? But I am not here to
argue, senors, but to confess. In a word, there was no deed of blood
done for the next few years in which I had not my share, if it were but
within my reach. When Challcuchima was burned, I was consenting; when
that fair girl, the wife of Inca Manco, was tortured to death, I smiled
at the agonies at which she too smiled, and taunted on the soldiers, to
try if I could wring one groan from her before she died. You know what
followed, the pillage, the violence, the indignities offered to the
virgins of the Sun. Senors, I will not pollute your chaste ears with
what was done. But, senors, I had a brother."

And the old man paused awhile.

"A brother--whether better or worse than me, God knows, before whom he
has appeared ere now. At least he did not, as I did, end as a rebel
to his king! There was a maiden in one of those convents, senors, more
beautiful than day: and (I blush to tell it) the two brothers of whom
I spoke quarrelled for the possession of her. They struck each other,
senors! Who struck first I know not; but swords were drawn, and--The
cavaliers round parted them, crying shame. And one of those two
brothers--the one who speaks to you now--crying, 'If I cannot have her,
no man shall!' turned the sword which was aimed at his brother, against
that hapless maiden--and--hear me out, senors, before you flee from my
presence as from that of a monster!--stabbed her to the heart. And as
she died--one moment more, senors, that I may confess all!--she looked
up in my face with a smile as of heaven, and thanked me for having rid
her once and for all from Christians and their villainy."

The old man paused.

"God forgive you, senor!" said Jack Brimblecombe, softly.

"You do not, then, turn from me, do not curse me? Then I will try you
farther still, senors. I will know from human lips, whether man can do
such deeds as I have done, and yet be pitied by his kind; that so I may
have some hope, that where man has mercy, God may have mercy also. Do
you think that I repented at those awful words? Nothing less, senors
all. No more than I did when De Soto (on whose soul God have mercy)
called me--me, a liar! I knew myself a sinner; and