"But you saw her before? Be careful, Perez. Write down every word. You say that you saw your daughter before you did it."
"I did not say that," answered Mendoza firmly.
"It makes very little difference," said the King, "If you had seen her with his Highness, the murder would have seemed less cold-blooded, that is all. There would then have been something like a natural provocation for it."
There was a low sound, as of some one scratching at the door. That was the usual way of asking admittance to the King's room on very urgent matters. Perez rose instantly, the King nodded to him, and he went to the door. On opening, someone handed him a folded paper on a gold salver. He brought it to Philip, dropped on one knee very ceremoniously, and presented it. Philip took the note and opened it, and Perez returned to his seat at once.
The King unfolded the small sheet carefully. The room was so full of light that he could read it when he sat, without moving. His eyes followed the lines quickly to the end, and returned to the beginning, and he read the missive again more carefully. Not the slightest change of expression was visible in his face, as he folded the paper neatly again in the exact shape in which he had received it. Then he remained silent a few moments. Perez held his pen ready to write, moving it mechanically now and then as if he were writing in the air, and staring at the fire, absorbed in his own thoughts, though his ear was on the alert.
"You refuse to admit that you found your daughter and Don John together, then?" The King spoke with an interrogation.
"I did not find them together," answered Mendoza. "I have said so." He was becoming exasperated under the protracted cross-examination.
"You have not said so. My memory is very good, but if it should fail we have everything written down. I believe you merely refused to answer when I asked if you knew of their meeting--which meant that you did know of it. Is that it, Perez?"
"Exactly so, Sire." The Secretary had already found the place among his notes.
"Do you persistently refuse to admit that you had positive evidence of your daughter's guilt before the murder?"