e
torments for the purpose of compelling them to forswear themselves and
embrace your religion against their will. Now, which of you is
responsible for the hellish suffering that goes on from time to time
within these four walls?"

"Since you insist upon our replying to your insolent questions,"
answered the Grand Inquisitor, contemptuously, "know, young man, that
none is more responsible than another. We whom you see seated here are
appointed by our Order to promote the honour and interest of the Church
of which we are most humble and unworthy members, by winning souls to
her, and converting the heathen and heretics generally to the true
faith. We have various methods of doing this. In the first instance we
use teaching, persuasion, exhortation; and sometimes these methods
suffice. But when they fail--as they do sometimes, in the case of the
contumacious, there is a blessed power in bodily suffering which, loath
as we are to employ it, we force ourselves to resort to, convinced that,
by saving the soul at the cost of the body, we are doing a righteous and
merciful thing. But even in inflicting suffering we are merciful, for
we regulate the amount and quality of the suffering by the extent of the
contumacy of the subject, making it light and transient at the first,
and only increasing it in sharpness and duration when we find the other
insufficient. And in all cases the character of the punishment is the
subject of long and anxious deliberation, in which we all join, and no
punishment of any kind is ever inflicted until we all--I and my eight
Brothers here--are agreed as to its expediency, character, and amount.
Also we are always present upon such occasions, in order that the
punishment may be stopped upon the instant that conversion takes place."

"I see," said George. "Are you all agreed"--addressing the assistants,
"that what your Grand Inquisitor has stated is the exact truth?"

"_Si, si_; yes, we are all agreed," came first from one and then
another, until all had spoken.

"Then," continued George, "I am to take it that you are all alike
equally responsible for what is done in this chamber?"

It was evident that a large proportion of the Assistant Inquisitors were
inclined to jib at the word "responsible"; but the young Captain
insisted upon each man giving a categorical reply to the question; and
in the end, stimulated further by the stern looks of the Grand
Inquisitor, they all replied in the affirm