isoner," Manvers said.
"A little of Master Esteban's private history should be useful."

"It would be perfectly useless, if you will allow me to say so,"
replied the advocate. "The Judge will not hear a word against a family
like the Ramonez. So noble and so poor! Perhaps you are not aware
that the Archbishop of Toledo is Don Luis' first cousin? That is so."

"But is that allowed to justify his rip of a son in goading a girl on
to murder?" cried Manvers.

The advocate again took snuff, shrugging as he tapped his fingers on
the box. "The Ramonez say, you see, sir, that Don Bartolome may have
threatened her, moved by jealousy. Jealousy is a well-understood
passion here. The plea is valid and good."

"Might it not stand for Manuela too?" he was asked.

"I don't think we had better advance it, Don Osmundo," he said, after a
significant pause.

Gil Perez, pale and all on edge, had been walking the room like a caged
wolf. He swore to himself--but in English, out of politeness to his
master. "Thata dam thief! Ah, Juez of my soul, if I see you twist in
'ell is good for me." Presently he took Manvers aside and, his eyes
full of tears, asked him, "Sir, you escusa Manuela, if you please. She
maka story ver' bad to 'ear. She no like--I see 'er red as fire, burn
like the devil, sir. She ver' unfortunata girl--too beautiful to live.
And all these 'ogs--Oh, my God, what can she do?" He opened his arms,
and turned his pinched face to the sky. "What can she do, Oh, my God?"
he cried. "So beautiful as a rose, an' so poor, and so a child! You
sorry, sir, hey?" he asked, and Manvers said he was more sorry than he
could say.

That comforted him. He kissed his master's hand, and then told him
that Manuela was glad that he knew all about her. "She dam glad, sir,
that I know. She say to me las' night--'What I shall tell the Juez
will be the very truth. Senor Don Osmundo shall know what I am,' she
say. 'To 'im I could never say it. To thata Juez too easy say it.
To-morrow,' she say, ''e know me for what I am--too bad girl!'"

"I think she is a noble girl," said Manvers. "She's got more courage
in her little finger than I have in my body. She's a girl in a
thousand."

Gil Perez glowed, and lifted up his beaten head. "Esplendid--eh?" he
cried out. "By God, I serve 'er on my knees!"

On returning to the court, the beard and patient face of Fray Juan
greeted our friend. He had very little to testify, save tha