be found?"

"They are probably in--the--the--room--where--in which--persons are put
to--to--the question," was the stammered reply.

"Ah!" exclaimed George. "I presume you mean the place which the fray,
here, has more briefly designated as the `torture chamber.' Very well;
I must see the place, and also the Grand Inquisitor and his assistants;
I have something very important to say to those--'m--people. Lead the
way, reverend senor, if you please." Then, turning to the two armed men
who guarded the door, he added--"Take charge of these two men. For the
present, they are prisoners."

The Father Superior possessed a certain knowledge of English, for as the
last words passed George's lips the terrified ecclesiastic quavered:

"Prisoners, senor? Prisoners? What--what--do you mean? How dare you
interfere with my liberty? This is downright, rank sacrilege; and if
you dare to treat any of the inmates of this institution--and especially
any members of the Holy Office--otherwise than with the utmost
deference, you will--will--suffer severely for it."

"Pray lead on, senor," retorted George, waving the agitated man toward
the door. "Surely you must realise by this time that the institution
and all within it are in my power. And I am what you please to term a
`heretic'; the thunders of your Church have no terrors for me; I regard
you and your associates merely as men who have been guilty of certain
most atrocious crimes, and I am here for the express purpose of
punishing the guilty ones."

The Father Superior evidently realised that, after this, there was no
more to be said, and, between the two men-at-arms, and closely followed
by the shivering fray, he accordingly passed out of the room and down a
long corridor, into another, until a small door was reached, which, with
evident fear and reluctance, he at length threw open, disclosing a most
remarkable scene.

The chamber thus revealed was a very large and lofty one, lighted by
three large windows set high in the wall and heavily grated outside.
And although the windows were all wide open, the atmosphere was
oppressively close, and it was also charged with a very peculiar odour,
evidently arising in part at least from the fumes of an ignited charcoal
brazier, containing several curious-looking iron instruments thrust deep
into its glowing heart. Immediately under the windows, and running the
entire width of the chamber, was a platform or dais, some three feet