aughter of Monteblanco; you
must now answer your Queen, for treason to your country."

Gomez Arias was struck with astonishment, not so much from the
consciousness of guilt, as from the suddenness of such an unexpected
charge. As soon, therefore, as he recovered from his surprise, with
indignant pride he exclaimed: "What! Gomez Arias charged with treason,
when he comes to afford the most incontestable proofs of his love and
devotion to his country? Where--where is the villain who dares affix so
foul a stigma to the name of Gomez Arias? Where is he?--let him appear,
that I may confound and chastise the miscreant;" then looking round with
haughtiness, he added, "who dares charge _me_ with treason?"

"I dare," cried a voice; and presently the renegade, who, till then, had
been concealed from Don Lope, came forward with boldness, and fixing his
eyes steadfastly on Gomez Arias--

"I dare," he repeated, "in the face of Spain, and I will make good my
charge."

Gomez Arias staggered at the sight; the apparition had burst upon him so
unexpectedly, that, unable to contain his emotion,--

"Ah!" he cried, faultering; "what! the Moor here!"

"The Moor!" echoed the queen; "then you know the Moor?"

"I have seen the wretch before," replied Gomez Arias; "but how dares he
throw on me so dark an imputation?"

He cast a look of darkening anger on the renegade, but Bermudo returned
the haughty glance with a cold sneer.

"Proud man," he exclaimed, "your wrath affrights not me, and humility
becomes you better than arrogance. You can as little intimidate me, as
you can effectually contradict the veracity of my accusation. Queen of
Spain," he then cried in a tone of fearless intrepidity, "and you, ye
nobles of Granada, behold in me one of the rebels who has laid down his
arms and accepted the amnesty. An eager desire to unmask that haughty
man, has obliged me to abandon my companions, and appear within the
walls of a Christian city. My motives for proceeding against Don Lope
will shortly come to light; but first his guilt shall be established.
His conviction and punishment will necessarily follow, if the court of
Isabella can boast real claims to that impartial justice, for which the
world gives it credit."

These words were delivered with such firmness of tone and manner, that
the friends of Gomez Arias began to look on him with mingled pity and
amazement. He, however, cast around a glance of indignant contempt;
then he preserved