frantic passion the heart of the heir of the most Christian
king?"

"Ha! thus does that libertine boy ever scandalise us!" said the king,
bitterly.

"Well," pursued the Dominican, not heeding the interruption, "have you
not here excuse enough to wring from the whole race the purchase of
their existence? Note the glaring proof of this conspiracy of hell. The
outcasts of the earth employed this crafty agent to contract with
thee for power; and, to consummate their guilty designs, the arts that
seduced Solomon are employed against thy son. The beauty of the strange
woman captivates his senses; so that, through the future sovereign
of Spain the counsels of Jewish craft may establish the domination
of Jewish ambition. How knowest thou," he added as he observed that
Ferdinand listened to him with earnest attention--"how knowest thou but
what the next step might have been thy secret assassination, so that the
victim of witchcraft, the minion of the Jewess, might reign in the stead
of the mighty and unconquerable Ferdinand?"

"Go on, father," said the king, thoughtfully; "I see, at least, enough
to justify an impost upon these servitors of Mammon."

"But, though common sense suggests to us," continued Torquemada, "that
this disguised Israelite could not have acted on so vast a design
without the instigation of his brethren, not only in Granada, but
throughout all Andalusia,--would it not be right to obtain from him his
confession, and that of the maiden, within the camp, so that we may have
broad and undeniable evidence, whereon to act, and to still all cavil,
that may come not only from the godless, but even from the too tender
scruples of the righteous? Even the queen--whom the saints ever
guard!--hath ever too soft a heart for these infidels; and--"

"Right!" cried the king, again breaking upon Torquemada; "Isabel, the
queen of Castile, must be satisfied of the justice of all our actions."

"And, should it be proved that thy throne or life were endangered, and
that magic was exercised to entrap her royal son into a passion for a
Jewish maiden, which the Church holds a crime worthy of excommunication
itself, surely, instead of counteracting, she would assist our schemes."

"Holy friend," said Ferdinand, with energy, "ever a comforter, both for
this world and the next, to thee, and to the new powers intrusted to
thee, we commit this charge; see to it at once; time presses--Granada is
obstinate--the treasury waxes low."