“What nonsense are you talking, Richard?” hastily inquired the secretary to whom Richard had not spoken. “Wapherney could not have written in favor of Anglyvius, for the fellow’s petition disgusted the general when I read it to him.”
“So you told me,” answered Wapherney; “but I found the word tribuatur[10] written on the petition in his Excellency’s own hand.”
“Indeed!” exclaimed the other.
“Yes, my dear fellow; and several other of his Excellency’s decisions of which you told me, were also altered in marginal notes. For instance, on the petition of the miners, the general wrote, negetur.”
“What! I can’t understand that; the general dreaded the turbulent spirit of those miners.”
“Perhaps he wanted to frighten them into submission by his severity. What makes me think so is that Chaplain Munder’s request for the pardon of twelve condemned prisoners is also refused.”
The secretary whom Wapherney addressed, rose abruptly, saying, “Oh, come now, I can’t believe that; the governor is too kind, and expressed too much compassion for those prisoners to—”
“Very well, Arthur,” answered Wapherney; “read it for yourself.”
Arthur took the petition and saw the fatal words.
“Really,” said he, “I can scarcely credit my own eyes. I must present this to the governor again. What day did his Excellency mark these papers?”