goodwill of the people, who trust and respect, and at need will
follow, you. If nothing less will serve, we must have recourse to
arms; and so that we are resolute and united, my friends, we
shall prevail against the inquisitors."

Within the alcove, Don Rodrigo felt his skin roughening with
horror at this speech, which breathed sedition not only against
the Sovereigns, but against the very Church. And with his horror
was blent a certain increase of fear. If his situation had been
perilous before, it was tenfold more dangerous now. Discovery,
since he had overheard this treason, must mean his certain death.
And Isabella, realizing the same to the exclusion of all else,
clutched his arm and cowered against him in the dark.

There was worse to follow. Susan's address was received with a
murmur of applause, and then others spoke, and several were
named, and their presence thus disclosed. There was the
influential Manuel Sauli, who next to Susan was the wealthiest
man in Seville; there was Torralba, the Governor of Triana; Juan
Abolafio, the farmer of the royal customs, and his brother
Fernandez, the licentiate, and there were others--all of them men
of substance, some even holding office under the Crown. Not one
was there who dissented from anything that Susan had said; rather
did each contribute some spur to the general resolve. In the end
it was concerted that each of those present should engage himself
to raise a proportion of the men, arms and money that would be
needed for their enterprise. And upon that the meeting was
dissolved, and they departed. Susan himself went with them. He
had work to do in the common cause, he announced, and he would do
it that very night in which it was supposed that he was absent at