The alferez shrugged his shoulders.
“You confess that you know absolutely nothing?”
“What! do you mean to tell me about Elias, whom your sacristan mayor hid last night?” he asked.
“No, no! I don’t speak of such matters now,” replied the curate, in a bad humor. “I am talking about a great danger.”
“Then d——n it! Let it out.”
“Now then,” said the friar slowly and with a certain disdain, “you will see again how important we priests are. The lowest layman is worth a regiment, so that a curate....”
And then lowering his voice in a very mysterious manner:
“I have discovered a great conspiracy.”
The alferez started and looked at the friar astonished.
“A terrible and well-laid conspiracy, which is to break out this very night.”