"Hag," said the doctor, "you are lying. This fine young man has confessed to me the agreeable truth. Madam," he turned to Donna Aurelia, "here is a confessed lover of yours. Pray have you anything to say?" "He is very foolish, he is very wicked; I have often told him so, often and often," says Aurelia, twisting her hands about. "To-night he has said what he should not--and I believe he knows that very well. I had intended to tell you, if you had come sooner, as I wished--ah, and as I asked you, Porfirio--you would have heard it all from me. That is all. I was frightened--Nonna popped him in the cupboard--how he got out, how you found him there, I know not. But he has done me no harm--nor you neither, Porfirio. That I swear before the saints in Heaven." The doctor glared at her--then took her by the wrist. "Lies, lies, woman!" he said furiously. "He convicts you himself. He came out of the cupboard of his own act." She stared in amazement, and forgot the pain he was giving her. "He-- came--out? But----Is he mad?" "No, madam," said I; and, "No, by Heaven!" cried the doctor, "for I have no doubt at all but that he intended to provoke me to anger and then to run me through the body with that sword of his." I threw up my arms at such a monstrous suspicion. Aurelia, who had been gazing at me as if she feared for my reason, now looked down. "Please to let go of my wrist," she said, "you are hurting me, Porfirio. I know no more than you do why he came out of the cupboard; but of course you do him a wrong. He did not mean anything of the sort--he is of a good heart--incapable of murder. And now, please, Porfirio, let go of my wrist." But he did not; his rage, gathering in volume, bade fair to convulse him. "I intend to have the truth from one of the three of you before I let you go," said he. "From you I require to know why you put him into the cupboard." "It was very silly," said Aurelia, "since he had done no harm. Nonna, why did you put him into the cupboard?" "Diana!" cried the old woman, "where else was I to put the boy?" The doctor's laughter was terrible to me. I took a step forward. "I will tell you, sir, the reason of both your puzzlements," I said. "I was put into the cupboard because Donna Aurelia was rightly ashamed of me, and I came out because I was honestly ashamed of myself." "Ha!" said he, "so now we have it." "You shall have it now," I replied. "I was honestly ashamed of myself, and honestly glorious that I had been rebuked by so noble a lady. Sir, it is true that I love this lady." Aurelia gave a shocked little cry, but I went on. "It is true that I kiss her feet. Sir, I worship the ground she presses with them--it is holy ground." He scoffed at me. I said, "My feelings overcame me--I sinned--I am utterly unworthy. Punish me for my sin as you will, I shall not defend myself. But do not, and do not you, madam, I entreat, punish me for the one thing I have done this night of which I may be rightly proud."