Ihaveobtainedthismuchofmercyforherbecauseofmyfaithfulservicestothechurchandbysecretinfluence，thatwhenIgiveherthecupofwaterbeforetheworkisdone，Imaymixpoisonwithitandtouchthelipsofthebabewithpoison，sothattheirendisswift。
Imaydothisandyethavenosinuponmysoul。
Ihavemypardonunderseal。
Helpmethentobeaninnocentmurderess，andtosavethissinnerfromherlastagoniesonearth。’
IcannotsetdownthefeelingswithwhichIlistenedtothistaleofhorror，forwordscouldnotcarrythem。
Istoodaghastseekingananswer，andadreadfulthoughtenteredmymind。
’IsthiswomannamedIsabelladeSiguenza？’Iasked。
’Thatnamewashersintheworld，’sheanswered，’thoughhowyouknowitIcannotguess。’
’Weknowmanythingsinthishouse，mother。
Saynow，canthisIsabellabesavedbymoneyorbyinterest？’
’Itisimpossible；hersentencehasbeenconfirmedbytheTribunalofMercy。
Shemustdieandwithintwohours。
Willyounotgivethepoison？’
’IcannotgiveitunlessIknowitspurpose，mother。
Thismaybeabarrentale，andthemedicinemightbeusedinsuchafashionthatIshouldfallbeneaththelaw。
AtonepriceonlycanIgiveit，anditisthatIamtheretoseeitused。’
Shethoughtawhileandanswered:’Itmaybedone，forasitchancesthewordingofmyabsolutionwillcoverit。
Butyoumustcomecowledasapriest，thatthosewhocarryoutthesentencemayknownothing。
StillotherswillknowandIwarnyouthatshouldyouspeakofthematteryouyourselfwillmeetwithmisfortune。
TheChurchavengesitselfonthosewhobetrayitssecrets，senor。’
’AsonedayitssecretswillavengethemselvesupontheChurch，’I
answeredbitterly。
’Andnowletmeseekafittingdrug——onethatisswift，yetnottooswift，lestyourhoundsshouldseethemselvesbaffledofthepreybeforealltheirdevilryisdone。
Hereissomethingthatwilldothework，’andIheldupaphialthatIdrewfromacaseofsuchmedicines。
Come，veilyourself，mother，andletusbegoneuponthis“errandofmercy。“’
Sheobeyed，andpresentlyweleftthehouseandwalkedawayswiftlythroughthecrowdedstreetstillwecametotheancientpartofthecityalongtheriver’sedge。
Herethewomanledmetoawharfwhereaboatwasinwaitingforher。
Weenteredit，andwererowedforamileormoreupthestreamtilltheboathaltedatalanding-
placebeneathahighwall。
Leavingit，wecametoadoorinthewallonwhichmycompanionknockedthrice。
Presentlyashutterinthewoodworkwasdrawn，andawhitefacepeepedthroughthegratingandspoke。
Mycompanionansweredinalowvoice，andaftersomedelaythedoorwasopened，andIfoundmyselfinalargewalledgardenplantedwithorangetrees。
Thentheabbessspoketome。
’Ihaveledyoutoourhouse，’shesaid。
’Ifyouknowwhereyouare，andwhatitsnamemaybe，foryourownsakeIprayyouforgetitwhenyouleavethesedoors。’
Imadenoanswer，butlookedroundthedimanddewygarden。
HereitwasdoubtlessthatdeGarciahadmetthatunfortunatewhomustdiethisnight。
AwalkofahundredpacesbroughtustoanotherdoorinthewallofalonglowbuildingofMoorishstyle。
Heretheknockingandthequestioningwererepeatedatmorelength。
Thenthedoorwasopened，andIfoundmyselfinapassage，illlighted，longandnarrow，inthedepthsofwhichIcouldseethefiguresofnunsflittingtoandfrolikebatsinatomb。
Theabbesswalkeddownthepassagetillshecametoadoorontherightwhichsheopened。
Itledintoacell，andheresheleftmeinthedark。
FortenminutesormoreIstayedthere，apreytothoughtsthatIhadratherforget。
Atlengththedooropenedagain，andshecamein，followedbyatallpriestwhosefaceIcouldnotsee，forhewasdressedinthewhiterobeandhoodoftheDominicansthatleftnothingvisibleexcepthiseyes。
’Greeting，myson，’hesaid，whenhehadscannedmeforawhile。
’Theabbessmotherhastoldmeofyourerrand。
Youarefullyoungforsuchatask。’
’WereIoldIshouldnotloveitbetter，father。
Youknowthecase。
Iamaskedtoprovideadeadlydrugforacertainmercifulpurpose。
Ihaveprovidedthatdrug，butImustbetheretoseethatitisputtoproperuse。’
’Youareverycautious，myson。
TheChurchisnomurderess。
Thiswomanmustdiebecausehersinisflagrant，andoflatesuchwickednesshasbecomecommon。
Therefore，aftermuchthoughtandprayer，andmanysearchingstofindameansofmercy，sheiscondemnedtodeathbythosewhosenamesaretoohightobespoken。
I，alas，amheretoseethesentencecarriedoutwithacertainmitigationwhichhasbeenallowedbythemercyofherchiefjudge。
Itseemsthatyourpresenceisneedfultothisactoflove，thereforeIsufferit。
ThemotherabbesshaswarnedyouthatevildogsthefeetofthosewhorevealthesecretsoftheChurch。
ForyourownsakeIprayyoutolaythatwarningtoheart。’
’Iamnobabbler，father，sothecautionisnotneeded。
Onewordmore。
Thisvisitshouldbewellfeed，themedicineiscostly。’
’Fearnot，physician，’themonkansweredwithanoteofscorninhisvoice；’nameyoursum，itshallbepaidtoyou。’
’Iasknomoney，father。
IndeedIwouldpaymuchtobefarawayto-night。
IaskonlythatImaybeallowedtospeakwiththisgirlbeforeshedies。’
’What！’hesaid，starting，’surelyyouarenotthatwickedman？
Ifso，youareboldindeedtoriskthesharingofherfate。’
’No，father，Iamnotthatman。
IneversawIsabelladeSiguenzaexceptonce，andIhaveneverspokentoher。
IamnotthemanwhotrickedherbutIknowhim；heisnamedJuandeGarcia。’
’Ah！’hesaidquickly，’shewouldnevertellhisrealname，evenunderthreatoftorture。
Poorerringsoul，shecouldbefaithfulinherunfaith。
Ofwhatwouldyouspeaktoher？’
’Iwishtoaskherwhitherthismanhasgone。
Heismyenemy，andIwouldfollowhimasIhavealreadyfollowedhimfar。
Hehasdoneworsebymeandminethanbythispoorgirleven。
Grantmyrequest，father，thatImaybeabletoworkmyvengeanceonhim，andwithminetheChurch’salso。’
’“Vengeanceismine，“saiththeLord；“Iwillrepay。“
Yetitmaybe，son，thattheLordwillchooseyouastheinstrumentofhiswrath。
Anopportunityshallbegivenyoutospeakwithher。
Nowputonthisdress’——andhehandedmeawhiteDominicanhoodandrobe——’andfollowme。’
’First，’Isaid，’letmegivethismedicinetotheabbess，forI
willhavenohandinitsadministering。
Takeit，mother，andwhenthetimecomes，pourthecontentsofthephialintoacupofwater。
Then，havingtouchedthemouthandtongueofthebabewiththefluid，giveittothemothertodrinkandbesurethatshedoesdrinkit。
Beforethebricksarebuiltupaboutthembothwillsleepsound，nevertowakeagain。’
’Iwilldoit，’murmuredtheabbess；’havingabsolutionIwillbebold，anddoitforloveandmercy’ssake！’
’Yourheartistoosoft，sister。
Justiceismercy，’saidthemonkwithasigh。
’Alasforthefrailtyofthefleshthatwarsagainstthespirit！’
ThenIclothedmyselfintheghastlylookingdress，andtheytooklampsandmotionedtometofollowthem。
Silentlywewentdownthelongpassage，andaswewentIsawtheeyesofthedwellersinthislivingtombwatchuspassthroughthegratingsoftheircelldoors。
Littlewonderthatthewomanabouttodiehadstriventoescapefromsuchahomebacktotheworldoflifeandlove！
Yetforthatcrimeshemustperish。
SurelyGodwillrememberthedoingsofsuchmenasthesepriests，andthenationthatfostersthem。
And，indeed，Hedoesremember，forwhereisthesplendourofSpainto-day，andwherearethecruelritesshegloriedin？
HereinEnglandtheirfettersarebrokenforever，andinstrivingtobindthemfastuponusfreeEnglishmensheisbrokenalso——nevertobewholeagain。
Atthefarendofthepassagewefoundastairdownwhichwepassed。
Atitsfootwasaniron-bounddoorthatthemonkunlockedandlockedagainuponthefurtherside。
Thencameanotherpassagehollowedinthethicknessofthewall，andaseconddoor，andwewereintheplaceofdeath。
Itwasavaultlowanddamp，andthewatersoftheriverwasheditsouterwall，forIcouldheartheirmurmuringinthesilence。
Perhapstheplacemayhavemeasuredtenpacesinlengthbyeightbroad。
Fortherestitsroofwassupportedbymassivecolumns，andononesidetherewasaseconddoorthatledtoaprisoncell。
Atthefurtherendofthisgloomyden，thatwasdimlylightedbytorchesandlamps，twomenwithhoodedheads，anddrapedincoarseblackgowns，wereatwork，silentlymixinglimethatsentupahotsteamuponthestagnantair。
Bytheirsidesweresquaresofdressedstonerangedneatlyagainsttheendofthevault，andbeforethemwasanichecutinthethicknessofthewallitself，shapedlikealargecoffinsetuponitssmallerend。
Infrontofthisnichewasplacedamassivechairofchestnutwood。
Inoticedalsothattwoothersuchcoffin-shapednicheshadbeencutinthissamewall，andfilledinwithsimilarblocksofwhitishstone。
Onthefaceofeachwasadategravedindeepletters。
Onehadbeensealedupsomethirtyyearsbefore，andoneharduponahundred。
Thesetwomenweretheonlyoccupantsofthevaultwhenweenteredit，butpresentlyasoundofsoftandsolemnsingingstoledownthesecondpassage。
Thenthedoorwasopened，themasonmonksceasedlabouringattheheapoflime，andthesoundofsinginggrewloudersothatIcouldcatchtherefrain。
ItwasthatofaLatinhymnforthedying。
Nextthroughtheopendoorcamethechoir，eightveilednunswalkingtwobytwo，andrangingthemselvesoneithersideofthevaulttheyceasedtheirsinging。
Afterthemfollowedthedoomedwoman，guardedbytwomorenuns，andlastofallapriestbearingacrucifix。
Thismanworeablackrobe，andhisthinhalf-
frenziedfacewasuncovered。
AlltheseandotherthingsInoticedandremembered，yetatthetimeitseemedtomethatIsawnothingexceptthefigureofthevictim。
Iknewheragain，althoughIhadseenherbutonceinthemoonlight。
Shewaschangedindeed，herlovelyfacewasfullerandthegreattormentedeyesshonelikestarsagainstitswaxenpallor，relievedbythecarmineofherlipsalone。
