Then, true to their principle of keeping themselves as much as possible in the background, they decided upon requesting Don Gregorio Lopez to call again together a meeting of the chiefs of the militia and of the leading citizens, and to propound to them these questions, to which they themselves purposed to find an answer.
Yet March passed over and nothing was done, and all this time Don Alfonso Miranda lay in prison, and his daughter, who was not allowed to visit him, found shelter under the roof of Don Fausto Velasquez. Many efforts were made by Don Fausto and by Don Gregorio Lopez to procure his release, but in vain, and their enquiries as to the cause of his detention were met by evasive answers. Then as they insisted that they should at least have liberty to speak with him, the Viceroy referred them to Don Roderigo Ponce de Leon.
Don Roderigo answered his father-in-law and Don Fausto with great brevity, saying that he had long suspected Don Alfonso of treasonable designs, and had only acted upon receipt of positive information.
"Have you discovered anything in his papers to criminate him?" asked Don Fausto.
"Nothing. He either keeps his correspondence well concealed or has destroyed it."
"Then upon what pretext do you keep him in prison?"
"His examination is not yet concluded," replied Don Roderigo.
"And you still refuse us permission to visit him?" said Don Fausto.
"I can allow him to have no communication with any one. In the present excited state of the city it would be unsafe to permit him any chance of communicating with his accomplices."
"I compliment you upon your policy," replied Don Fausto. "It may cause the death of a harmless old man, and can only tend to increase the popular excitement, of which you seem somewhat apprehensive."