ce, they attempted to remove the stones there.

All through the night and next day they continued their labor; and
succeeded, with great difficulty, in removing two of the stones of
the wall. Behind these, however, was a mass of rubble, formed of
cement so hard that the daggers failed to make any impression,
whatever, upon it; and after laboring through the whole day, they
were forced to abandon the design, and replace the stones as they
had before been; filling up the interstices with the mortar which
they had dug out, so that no trace of the task upon which they were
employed should remain.

That night, when the door opened, two figures, as before, presented
themselves; and they knew that their summons before the dreaded
court was at hand. With their daggers and pistols concealed within
their vests, they followed their guides; each, with a grasp of his
hand, assuring the other of his steadfastness and faith. They had
resolved that, sooner than submit to torture, which would cripple
them for life, they would fight to the last, and die resisting.

This time they found in the audience hall, in addition to the three
judges, four men; clothed also in black, but evidently of an
inferior order. These were standing, ranged along by the wall, in
readiness to obey the orders of the judges. Their attendants fell
back to the door, and the prisoners remained, standing alone, in
the center of the room.

"Acting in all kindness," the judge said, "we have given you ample
time to retract, and to consider your position; and we now call
upon you to consent, formally, to abandon your accursed heresies,
and to embrace the offer which the holy church kindly makes to you;
or to endure the pains which it will be necessary that we should
inflict, in order to soften your hardness of heart."

"We are perfectly resolved," Ned said, "to maintain the religion of
our fathers. As Englishmen, we protest against this outrage. When
your countrymen fall into our hands, no man dreams of endeavoring
to compel them to abandon their faith. They are treated as
honorable prisoners; and if any outrage be attempted upon our
bodies, sooner or later, be assured, the news of it will come to
the ears of our English captains; and for every drop of blood of
ours shed, a Spanish life will answer."

"You are insolent," the inquisitor said, coldly. "It is rash to
threaten men in whose power you are. These walls reveal no secrets,
and though the town were full of