“As I have entered into no conspiracy against his Majesty, it is impossible that I should give information, which, in fact, I do not possess,” answered Luis; “but assure the Minister, that my very soul revolts against the foul crime which was almost perpetrated, and that I would gladly assist in bringing the criminals to punishment.”
“All prisoners speak much in the same strain, my dear sir; but, when once at liberty, they are very apt to forget their former promises,” returned the Governor. “Though you may, for many reasons, not like to give any information direct to the Minister, if you will confide it to my ear, you may depend on my making a favourable report of your case to him; if not—I speak as a sincere friend—I fear that you will be deprived for ever of your liberty, if a worse fate does not await you.”
Luis at once saw completely the object of the Governor’s observations, and was ready to answer them. “I must prepare, then, to meet my fate to the best of my power, for information of any sort I am unable to give,” he said.
“That is the answer many gentlemen similarly situated make at first,” observed the Governor, smiling; “we find, however, that when put to the question, their powers of recollection are wonderfully stimulated. Of course it will not be necessary with you, Senhor Conde. Heaven forbid it, for the agony few people can support. To be sure, there are occasions when but little respect is paid to persons; indeed, to tell you the truth, such is the case at present; for the Minister has determined to sift this mysterious affair to the bottom, and he is not, you know, very scrupulous about the means he employs. It is whispered about in the prison circles, that the Duke of Aveiro, the Marquis of Tavora, with his sons and sons-in-law, and a few other individuals, underwent the question yesterday. The Duke suffered the most severely, and made extensive confessions; in consequence, several other persons were apprehended during the night. Oh, there is nothing to be compared to the question, for extracting the truth!” and the Governor fixed his keen grey eye upon his prisoner’s countenance; but Luis retained his composure, as he answered calmly,—
“I cannot doubt, senhor, your wisdom and experience; but I do the efficacy of the measure you propose for learning the truth. Some men will endure the most excruciating tortures rather than reveal what they have vowed to keep secret; and others, again, who are unable to bear pain, will, in the hopes of avoiding further suffering, even invent a story, and accuse others falsely to save themselves.”
“Silence! silence! Senhor Conde, this is blasphemy and treason you are talking,” interrupted the Governor. “What! dare to doubt the efficacy of the rack and the thumb-screw? Horrible sacrilege! How could a good wholesome despotism exist without them, I should like to know? Take care,—such expressions are strongly confirmatory of your own guilt. Beware!”
A cold shudder passed through Luis’s frame as his eye met the threatening glance of the Governor fixed on him, but he winced not under it, and, folding his arms on his breast, he prepared to listen in silence to whatever observations his unwelcome visitor might think proper to make.
The Governor, however, appeared satisfied that he could gain nothing from him by ordinary conversation, and therefore rose to take his leave, with his usual mock civility, after looking at him with the same sort of eye with which an experienced butcher regards the calf he has just bought, and is leading home to slaughter. “He is a tough subject, and will endure much before he utters a syllable,” he muttered loud enough to be heard, as he left the cell, though Luis fortunately did not understand the tenor of his words.
The next day passed, much to his satisfaction, without a visit from the Governor, though an under-gaoler brought him his food, and cleaned his cell, as usual. This man, whose manner and words showed him not to have been completely-hardened by the sufferings he had witnessed, would generally stop a few minutes more than his strict duty required, to offer a few expressions of comfort to the prisoner, for whom he had conceived a compassionate feeling.
Luis now took the opportunity to inquire from whence and from what unhappy prisoner the groans he had heard for several days past proceeded.