life and property and believed to be a notorious escaped witch or
heretic, had been captured, asking for reasons which he need not trouble
them with, that he would deal with the case at once. This woman also,
so said the man, had been heard that every afternoon to make use of the
most horrible, the most traitorous and blaspheming language to a lady
of Leyden, the Jufvrouw Lysbeth van Hout, indeed; as was deposed by a
certain spy named Black Meg, who had overheard the conversation.

Now, went on Montalvo, as he knew well, every man and woman in that room
would share his horror of traitorous and blasphemous heretics--here most
of the company crossed themselves, especially those who were already
secret adherents of the New Religion. Still, even heretics had a right
to a fair trial; at least he, who although a soldier by profession, was
a man who honestly detested unnecessary bloodshed, held that opinion.
Also long experience taught him great mistrust of the evidence of
informers, who had a money interest in the conviction of the accused.
Lastly, it did not seem well to him that the name of a young and noble
lady should be mixed up in such a business. As they knew under the
recent edicts, his powers in these cases were absolute; indeed, in his
official capacity he was ordered at once to consign any suspected of
Anabaptism or other forms of heresy to be dealt with by the appointed
courts, and in the case of people who had escaped, to cause them, on
satisfactory proof of their identity, to be executed instantly without
further trial. Under these circumstances, fearing that did the lady knew
his purpose she might take fright, he had, he confessed, resorted to
artifice, as he was very anxious both for her sake and in the interest
of justice that she should bear testimony in the matter. So he asked
her to accompany him on a short drive while he attended to a business
affair; a request to which she had graciously assented.