saw more shocking treatment of a woman than I
saw at Palencia. Not to have interfered would have shamed me for life.
What then? I rescued her, as I say, and she showed herself grateful in
a variety of ways. Then Esteban Vincaz came up and chose to treat me
as her lover. I believe he knew better, and think that my horse and
haversack had more to do with it. Well, I left Manuela with him in the
wood--hardly, I may suggest, the act of a lover--and never saw Esteban
alive again. But I believe Manuela's story absolutely; I am certain
she would not lie at such a time, or to such a man as Fray Juan. The
facts were extraordinary, and her crime, done as it was in defence of
myself, was heroic--or I thought so. Her leaving of the crucifix was,
to me, a proof of her honest intention. I valued the gift, partly for
the sake of the giver, partly for the act which it commemorated. She
had received a small service from me, and had returned it fifty-fold by
an act of desperate courage. To crown her charity, she left me all
that she had in the world. I do not wonder myself at what I did. I
took the crucifix to a jeweller at Valladolid, had it set as I thought
it deserved--and I see now that I did her there a cruel wrong."

"Permit me to say, sir," said the triumphant Judge, "that you also did
Don Luis Ramonez a great service. Through your act, however intended,
he has been enabled to bring a criminal to justice."

"I beg pardon," said Manvers, "she brought herself to justice--so soon
as Don Luis Ramonez sent his assassin out to stab me in the back, and
in the dark. And this again was a proof of her heroism, since she
thought by these means to satisfy his craving for human blood."

Manvers spoke incisively and with severity. The court thrilled, and
the murmuring was on his side. The Judge was much disturbed. Manuela
alone maintained her calm, sitting like a pensive Hebe, her cheek upon
her hand.

The Judge's annoyance was extreme. It tempted him to wrangle.

"I beg you, sir, to restrain yourself. The court cannot listen to
extraneous matter. It is concerned with the consideration of a serious
crime. The illustrious gentleman of your reference mourns the loss of
his only son."

"I fail," said Manvers, "to see how my violent death can assuage his
grief." The Judge was not the only person in court to raise his
eyebrows; if Manvers had not been angry he would have seen the whole
assembly in the same act, and been