"I have brought the Señor Asneiros that he himself give you an account of this affair," said Don Roderigo.
"You opened the coffer yourself?" said the Viceroy to the major. "What was there in it?"
"Some few papers written in English which appeared to be bonds or titles, about $400 in silver coins, and some heavy packets wrapped in paper, what they were I did not look, I was searching for documents," replied Asneiros.
"And did no one but yourself examine the coffer?"
"No one. When I saw that there was nothing there of what I expected to find, I relocked it, and kept the keys in my own possession, till I received an order, signed by your Excellency, to deliver it and the other articles I had brought from the Miserere."
"But with false keys any one might have opened the coffer in your absence?"
In reply to this Asneiros merely shrugged his shoulders:
"And you did not open any of those heavy packages of which you speak?" said Don Roderigo.
"I pricked them with my knife and found them all solid metal, but I did not open one of them. They say now that they are ingots of lead, and that the medico expected to find them of gold and has gone out of his mind. There are men who will believe anything, and there are others who will say and do anything to throw discredit upon a loyal Spaniard."
"It is a most unfortunate affair," said Don Roderigo. "The people are in such an evil frame of mind at present that they lay upon us the blame for any unfortunate accident that may befall."