ne," observed Antonio. "Let us be content to remain till He calls us,
and let our earnest prayer be that He will then, in His loving mercy,
summon us together. It would be grievous to be parted from you, my
beloved Leonor, even for a brief season."

"I pray that, through God's mercy, that day may never come," said
Leonor, looking with deep affection at her husband. "Oh, let us not
think even such an event possible."

They were interrupted by the arrival of a visitor. Several other
friends had called to congratulate Herezuelo on his success. The fresh
visitor was in the garb of a laic; but when he threw back the cloak
which concealed his features, the advocate and Dona Leonor saw before
them their friend Don Domingo de Roxas, the well-known prior and
preacher, a son of the Marquis de Poza.

"I have come to bid you farewell, dear friends," he said. "It may be
for a short time--it may be for ever. This is no safe country for one
who has preached the truth openly as I have done, and I have, therefore,
resolved to escape to Geneva, where I hope to remain till happier times
come for our poor benighted Spain. On my way I must visit our beloved
brother, Don Carlos de Seso, and, it may be, induce him to accompany me,
for I fear that neither is he safe while the inquisitors are seeking for
victims to satisfy their thirst for blood."

"We may say, rather, that while those miserable slaves to the tyranny
and superstition of Rome think that any remain who have been freed from
that hideous system they will endeavour, by every cruelty they can
devise, to destroy them, if they cannot bring them back to slavery,"
observed Herezuelo. "Of all the men in existence, I pity the officials
of the papal system, and more especially the inquisitors and their
families, be they cardinals, bishops, or other ecclesiastics, however
wealthy and powerful. While we endeavour to counteract their designs,
and to escape from their power, let us pray that their hearts may be
turned from darkness to light, and that they may learn to know, love,
and imitate that same Jesus whom they now persecute."

"Amen! I pray for them likewise," said Don Domingo. "But I must not
delay. I came to advise you, my friend, to quit Valladolid. It is no
longer a safe place for you, for even were your religious opinions not
suspected, you have made mortal enemies of those whom you so signally
defeated at law this morning."

"You are right, my friend; and we pur