d drew nothing from
him that could explain all that yet remained obscure. It was from Frey
Miguel, after a thousand prevarications and tergiversations, that the
full truth--known to himself alone--was extracted by the rack.

He confessed that, inspired by the love of country and the ardent desire
to liberate Portugal from the Spanish yoke, he had never abandoned the
hope of achieving this, and of placing Don Antonio, the Prior of
Crato, on the throne of his ancestors. He had devised a plan, primarily
inspired by the ardent nature of the Princess Anne and her impatience of
the conventual life. It was while casting about for the chief instrument
that he fortuitously met Espinosa in the streets of Madrigal. Espinosa
had been a soldier, and had seen the world. During the war between Spain
and Portugal he had served in the armies of King Philip, had befriended
Frey Miguel when the friar's convent was on the point of being invaded
by soldiery, and had rescued him from the peril of it. Thus they had
become acquainted, and Frey Miguel had had an instance of the man's
resource and courage. Further, he was of the height of Don Sebastian and
of the build to which the king might have grown in the years that were
sped, and he presented other superficial resemblances to the late king.
The colour of his hair and beard could be corrected; and he might be
made to play the part of the Hidden Prince for whose return Portugal was
waiting so passionately and confidently. There had been other impostors
aforetime, but they had lacked the endowments of Espinosa, and their
origins could be traced without difficulty. In addition to these natural
endowments, Espinosa should be avouched by Frey Miguel than whom nobody
in the world was better qualified in such a matter--and by the niece of
King Philip, to whom he would be married when he raised his standard.
It was arranged that the three should go to Paris so soon as the
arrangements were complete, where the Pretender would be accredited by
the exiled friends of Don Antonio residing there--the Prior of Crato
being a party to the plot. From France Frey Miguel would have worked in
Portugal through his agents, and presently would have gone there
himself to stir up a national movement in favour of a pretender so
fully accredited. Thus he had every hope of restoring Portugal to her
independence. Once this should have been accomplished, Don Antonio would
appear in Lisbon, unmask the impostor, and himself