les which
Pereira caused to be held before him. At length all the gold was in, a
shining heap.

"The balance does not turn," said Xavier; "I claim the girl."

"Baas," said Otter in a low voice, and speaking in Dutch, "have you more
gold? The weight is short."

Leonard glanced carelessly at the scales: they were trembling on the
turn.

"As much as you like," he said, "but here is what will do it."

And drawing off his signet ring he threw it on the pile. The ruby
excepted, it was the last thing of value that he had about him. Then the
scale vibrated and sank down.

"Good," said Pereira, rubbing his hands at the sight of so much
treasure. "Bring me the acid that I may test the stuff. No offence,
stranger Pierre, but this is a wicked world, in which brass has passed
for gold before to-day."

The acid was brought and the ingots were tested at hazard, Pereira
holding them up to the light of a lamp.

"They are good," he said. "Now, Father, do your part."

The priest Francisco stepped forward. He was very pale and seemed
terrified. Leonard, watching him, wondered what had brought him into
such company, for the man's face was good and even refined.

"Dom Antonio," said the priest in a soft girlish voice, "I protest
against this. Fate has brought me among you, though not of my own
will, and I have been forced to bear the sight of much evil, but I have
wrought none. I have shriven the dying, I have ministered to the sick, I
have comforted the oppressed, but I have taken no share of the price of
blood. I am a priest of our holy Church, and if I wed these two before
the sight of men, they will be husband and wife till death, and I shall
have set the seal of the blessing of the Church upon an act of shame. I
will not do it."

"You will not do it, you shaveling traitor?" screamed Pereira in a voice
hoarse with rage. "Do you want to follow your brother then? Look here,
my friend, either you obey me and marry these two or----" and he hissed
a horrible threat.

"NO, no," said Leonard, anxious to find an escape from this abominable
mockery. "Let him be. What do the cheat's prayers matter? The lady and I
can do without them."

"I tell you, stranger, that you shall marry the girl, and this sniveller
must marry you. If you don't, I will keep both her and the gold. And as
for him, he can choose. Here, slaves, bring the _sjamboch_."

Francisco's delicate face flushed pink. "I am no hero that I can suffer
thus," he said; "I