“I swear,” she answered.

“Good, Senora.  Now listen to me.  Did you meet that woman this afternoon?”

“Yes, I met her on the ice.”

“And did she in your hearing utter curses upon the Government and the Holy Church, and call upon you to assist in driving the Spaniards from the land, as this spy, whom I believe is called Black Meg, has borne witness?”

“No,” said Lysbeth.

“I am afraid that is not quite enough, Senora; I may have misquoted the exact words.  Did the woman say anything of the sort?”

For one second Lysbeth hesitated.  Then she caught sight of the victim’s watching, speculative eyes, and remembered that this crazed and broken creature once had been a child whom her father had kissed and played with, and that the crime of which she was accused was that she had escaped from death at the stake.

“The water is cold to die in!” the Mare said, in a meditative voice, as though she were thinking aloud.

“Then why did you run away from the warm fire, heretic witch?” jeered Black Meg.

Now Lysbeth hesitated no longer, but again answered in a monosyllable, “No.”

“Then what did she do or say, Senora?”

“She said she had known my father who used to play with her when she was a child, and begged for alms, that is all.  Then that woman came up, and she ran away, whereon the woman said there was a price upon her head, and that she meant to have the money.”

“It is a lie,” screamed Black Meg in fierce, strident tones.

“If that person will not be silent, silence her,” said Montalvo, addressing the sergeant.  “I am satisfied,” he went on, “that there is no evidence at all against the prisoner except the story of a spy, who says she believes her to be a vagrant heretic of bad character who escaped from the stake several years ago in the neighbourhood of Brussels, whither it is scarcely worth while to send to inquire about the matter.  So that charge may drop.  There remains the question as to whether or no the prisoner uttered certain words this afternoon, which, if she did utter them, are undoubtedly worthy of the death that, under my authority as acting commandant of this town, I have power to inflict.  This question I foresaw, and that is why I asked the Senora, to whom the woman is alleged to have spoken the words, to accompany me here to give evidence.  She has done so, and her evidence on oath as against the statement of a spy woman not on oath, is that no such words were spoken.  This being so, as the Senora is a good Catholic whom I have no reason to disbelieve, I order the release of the prisoner, whom for my part I take for nothing more than a crazy and harmless wanderer.”

“At least you will detain her till I can prove that she is the heretic who escaped from the stake near Brussels,” shouted Black Meg.

“I will do nothing of the sort; the prison here is over-full already.  Untie her arms and let her go.”