Page:Madrid shaver's singular adventures, and wonderful escape from the Spanish Inquisition (1).pdf/8

8 rivetting it on, 'that it was a proper cravat for the throat of a blasphemer.''Jesus Maria!' quoth Pedrosa, 'is all this fallen upon me, for only cudgelling a restive mule?' 'Aye,' cried the demon, 'and this is only a taste of what is to come,' at the same time slipping the pincers from the screw he was forcing to the head, he caught a piece of flesh in the forceps, and wrenched it out of his cheek, laughing at poor Nicolas, whilst he roared out with the pain, telling him 'it was a just reward for the torture he had put him to a while ago, when he tugged out a tooth till he broke it in his jaw.' 'Ah, for the love of heaven,' cried Pedrosa, 'have more pity on me; for the sake of Saint Nicolas de Tolentino, my holy patron, be not so unmerciful to a poor barber-surgeon; and I will shave your worship’s beard for nothing as long as I have life.' One of the messengers of the auditory now came in, and bade the fellow strike off the prisoner's fetters, for that the holy fathers were in council, and demanded him for examination. 'This is something extraordinary,' quoth the tormentor, 'I should not have expected it this twelvemonth to come.' Pedrosa’s fetters were struck off; some brandy was applied to staunch the bleeding of his cheek; his hands and face were washed, and a short jacket of coarse ticking thrown over him; and the messenger, with an assistant, taking him each under an arm, led him into a spacious chamber, where at the head of a long table sat his excellency the Inquisidor-general, with six of his accessors, three on each side of the chair of state: the Alguazil-mayor, a secretary, and two notaries,