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76 a protest against his proceedings, which would have been to his great dishonor.

I had parried the first blow successfully, and you shall now hear how I replied to the dreadful accusation of having prayed to my God in prison.

The two witnesses, already mentioned, who were afterwards broken on the wheel, were the first to be examined, in order to obtain their evidence before it might be out of reach from their execution. One of them was of a Protestant family, and he could remember nothing more than that he had heard me say, "Our Father, who art in heaven." The second was unable to remember even as much as that. The third witness called up was the jailer, and he had made the accusation that I had prevented the recantation of the prisoners.

I said to him: "Did you ever hear me speak to the people on the subject of religion?"

"No," said he.

"Did I even call them to prayers?"

"No."

I put no further questions to him.

The fourth witness was his wife, and she was expected to prove that I had interrupted the priest in his celebration of mass. She was possessed of some talent, and she was a great bigot, therefore more dexterity was required in dealing with her.

You must bear in mind that the chapel was separated from the main building of the prison by a small court, and also that it was on the ground-floor. The common room of the prison was in the second story, and I prayed in that corner of it which was the most remote from the chapel. I had my back towards it, and I always spoke in a subdued tone of