The broad figure shuddered, and into the kindly English voice came a note of horror.
Johnnie turned also, and saw that the torturer was tumbling several long-handled pincers into a wooden tray. Then the torturer took one of them up, and turned the glowing something in the brazier, quietly, professionally, though the red glow that fell upon his horrible black costume gave him indeed the aspect of a devil from the pit—the bloody pantomime which was designed!
The two Englishmen stood shoulder to shoulder and shuddered, as they saw this figure moving about the glowing coals.
Johnnie took a half-step forward, when Hull pressed him back.
"God's death, master," Hull said. "We look like that; we are even as he is in aspect; we have to do our work—now!"
A door to the right suddenly swung open. Two steps led up to it, and a face peeped round. It was the face of a bearded man, with heavy eyebrows and very white cheeks. Upon the head was a biretta of black velvet.
The head nodded. "We are ready," came the voice from it. The door fell to again.
Then Alonso came up to Johnnie. "The work begins," he said, in a gruff voice, from which all respect had gone with design. "You and Juan will carry in that brazier of coals."
He went to the door, mounted the two stone steps, and held it open. Johnnie and Hull bore in the brazier up the steps, and into a large room lit, but not very brightly, with candles set in sconces upon the walls.
Following the directions of Alonso, they placed the brazier in a far corner, and stood by it, waiting in silence.