Cleofas. (Seeing Oliveira, who enters at the left) Is it not the opinion of my excellent colleague. Master Oliveira, that there is not sufficient evidence to condemn them?
All turn toward Oliveira with questioning looks.
Oliveira. Since my very venerable colleague has obliged me to give my humble opinion, I must confess that one of the two women, the one called Afrida, appears to me to be an old fool, who after having been forced to listen to sorcery and witchcraft, is possessed with the idea that she is on intimate terms with a demon. She accepts her dreams and nightmares as realities and every woman and girl whom she knows she accuses of having attended a witches’ revel. A dozen of these unfortunates have been placed in our dungeons since yesterday. If we listened to that vixen all of the women of Toledo would be sorceresses—especially the young ones!
Calabazas. Has she not a reason for accusing them if she has seen them at these revels?
Murmurs of discreet approbation.
Oliveira. For her to have seen them, my father, it would have been necessary for her to have gone there herself.
Ibarra. She partook in them.
Molina. And you doubt that?
Oliveira. For a good reason!—As she pretended, in spite of the confining walls of her dungeons, to be able to attend the revels again, I determined to see for myself whether she was telling the truth. Three times during the night I found her sleeping deeply on the pallet in her cell in the prison. When she awoke she told me all that she thought she had seen at the home of the devil!
Albornos. If you were more experienced in these matters. Master Oliveira, you would know that these sorceresses can leave their bodies lying in their beds and at the same time attend these Satanic love-feasts.