«An amnesty?» The three of them looked at him in questioning wonder.
«Why not? It is a royal gesture — true. But is not a governor in some sort royal, a viceroy, a representative of royalty, the one to whom men look for royal gestures? To mark your accession to this dignity, throw open your gaols, Don Jayme, as do kings upon their coronation.»
Don Jayme conquered his stupefaction at the magnitude of the act suggested, and smote the table with his fist, protesting that here was a notion worth adopting. To–morrow he would announce it in a proclamation, and set all prisoners free, their sentences remitted.
«That is,» he added, «all but six, whose pardon would hardly please the colony.»
«I think,» said Don Pedro, «that exceptions would stultify the act. There should be no exceptions.»
«But these are exceptional prisoners. Can you have forgotten that I told you I had made captive six buccaneers out of a party that had the temerity to land on Porto Rico!»
Don Pedro frowned, reflecting. «Ah, true!» he cried at last. «I remember.»
«And did I tell you, sir, that one of these men is that dog Wolverstone?» He pronounced it Wolverstone.
«Wolverstone?» said Don Pedro, who also pronounced it Wolverstohn. «You have captured Wolverstone!» It was clear that he was profoundly impressed; as well he might be, for Wolverstone, who was nowadays the foremost of Blood's lieutenants, was almost as well known to Spaniards and as detested by them as Blood himself. «You have captured Wolverstone!» he repeated, and for the first time looked at Don Jayme with eyes of unmistakable respect. «You did not tell me that. Why, in that case, my friend, you have clipped one of Blood's wings. Without Wolverstone he is shorn of half his power. His own destruction may follow now at any moment, and Spain will owe that to you.»
Don Jayme spread his hands in an affectation of modesty. «It is something towards deserving the honour his Majesty has bestowed upon me.»