She went away and Barosa began to unfasten the knots. He was very suspicious and went to work cautiously. But he need not have feared. The instant the cords were released and the stagnant blood began to course again through the veins, I was not only helpless but in positive agony, from my aching head to my throbbing feet. Inez had been back some time before I could bear to move and when I strove to sit up in order to take the spirit she had fetched, I fell back like a log, sick, dizzy and as helpless as a new-born babe. Barosa held me up while she poured a little brandy between my chattering teeth. The pain subsided slowly and the brandy stimulated me, and after a long interval--I made it long enough to try Barosa’s patience sorely--I struggled to a sitting posture. “What is this you have told Contesse Inglesia?” he asked. I passed my hand across my forehead and stared at him vacantly. “You know well enough what I mean. Repeat it to me.” “What about?” I muttered. “About Mademoiselle Dominguez. Some lie Major Sampayo is said to have told you.” I looked from him to Inez, and met her eyes fixed upon me intently. “Tell me,” I said to her. “What Major Sampayo said about the reason why Miralda was betrothed to him.” I turned slowly to Barosa. “If the contesse has told you, why bother me about it?” “Repeat it,” he said sternly. I shook my head. “You know already.” “Repeat it,” he cried again furiously. “And then admit you lied.” “I do not lie,” I answered and turned again to Inez. “So you have asked that question?” “Repeat it, I say,” he thundered. “If you dare.” “Oh, I dare. Sampayo told me that you had him at your mercy because you found out the facts about his South African doings and threatened to expose him. I had the same knowledge with an addition which frightened him even more. He said that you had forced this betrothal, but that it was only a sham and that you did not mean him to marry Miralda because you yourself loved her.” Out came a storm of oaths and denial, with fierce and passionate threats against Sampayo for having coined the lie and against me for having dared to repeat it. Inez was scarcely less moved; and from what passed it was clear that there had been a very warm quarrel between them before they had come up to me. I learnt that she had threatened to sacrifice everything and go straight to M. Volheno. It was a long time before I could get a word in, and then I brought them back to the real point. “Sampayo told me that after my interview with him he begged you to get rid of me by doing what I wanted--freeing Miralda from all this trouble. But you refused and tried to get rid of me in another way--by inciting Henriques to murder me.” “It is a lie, a lie. It is all lies,” he exclaimed furiously. “Well then, why have you kept Miralda in the toils? If Sampayo lied, what is the truth?”