r of your countrymen."

"Unhappily," the young officer said gloomily, "the ideas of honour on this
side of the Atlantic differ materially from those in the old country. It
has been so ever since we set foot in this country. Acts of treachery have
been performed by men who at home would shrink from any deed that savoured
of dishonour; and although even here one Spaniard would not transgress the
code towards another, there are too many who feel no scruples whatever as
to any course that they may pursue towards one of another race and another
religion."

Stephen nodded.

"I understand that, Don Filippo, and I own that, while I have no great
fear of ill-treatment on the part of the military and civil authorities, I
feel that should I fall into the hands of the Inquisition my chance would
be a slight one. From what I have heard I know that its power is so great
that even the most powerful of the civil authorities have to give way to
it. Of course, being a British subject, they have no shadow of right to
meddle with me, and if they do so and it becomes known in England, it will
be a very serious matter; but my fate might never be known, and even did
it come to the admiral's ears that I had been brought a prisoner here, any
application on his part might be met by a statement that I had been shot
while attempting to escape, or that I died of fever in prison, and he
would never be able to obtain any proof to the contrary."

"I am but too well aware of it," the young Spaniard replied. "Men are
constantly missing--not military men, but merchants, land-owners, and
others who have been known to entertain liberal opinions. No one knows
what has become of them. No one dares to make inquiry. I tell you, senor,
that I, a Spaniard, acknowledge that the state of affairs here is
detestable, and I am not surprised at the efforts of the colonies to break
away from us. Even in the middle ages in Spain priestly tyranny was never
carried to a greater point than still prevails here. We have been here for
centuries, and what have we done for the countries under our sway? So far
from enriching, we have impoverished them. The great proportion of the
population are little more than slaves, and we are hated as bitterly as
Cortez was hated by the Mexicans when he overthrew the empire of
Montezuma. It is three years since I came out here full of enthusiasm, and
eager to bear a part in putting down the rebellion of Chili. Now I feel
that Chili was mo