The marquis carried them away to Granada, whither we followed also, I being sorely hurt in the shipwreck.
There, in the palace of the marquis, we have lain prisoners many weeks, but at length escaped, purposing to come to Seville and seek the protection of your Majesties.

On the road, while we were dressed as Moors, in which garb we compassed our escape, we were attacked by men that we thought were bandits, for we had been warned against such evil people.

One of them rudely molested the Dona Margaret, and I cut him down, and by misfortune killed him, for which manslaughter I am here before you to-day.

Your Majesty, I did not know that he was a soldier of the Holy Hermandad, and I pray you pardon my offence, which was done in ignorance, fear, and anger, for we are willing to pay compensation for this unhappy death." Now some in the court exclaimed: "Well spoken, Englishman!" Then the queen said: "If all this tale be true, I am not sure that we should blame you over much, Senor Brome; but how know we that it is true?
For instance, you said that the noble marquis stole two ladies, a deed of which I can scarcely think him capable.

Where then is the other ?" "I believe," answered Peter, "that she is now the wife of the Marquis of Morella." "The wife! Who bears witness that she is the wife?
He has not advised us that he was about to marry, as is usual." Then Bernaldez stood forward, stating his name and occupation, and that he was a correspondent of the English merchant, John Castell, and producing the certificate of marriage signed by Morella, Betty, and the priest Henriques, handed it up to the queen saying that he had received them in duplicate by a messenger from Granada, and had delivered the other to the Archbishop of Seville.
The queen, having looked at the paper, passed it to her assessors, who examined it very carefully, one of them saying that the form was not usual, and that it might be forged.
The queen thought a little while, then said: "That is so, and in one way only can we know the truth.