It is charged against him that in a hermitage on Monte
Orsaro he did claim for an image of St. Sebastian that it was miraculous,
that it had power to heal suffering and that miraculously it bled from its
wounds each year during Passion Week, whence it resulted that pilgrimages
were made to this false shrine and great store of alms was collected by the
said Agostino d'Anguissola, which moneys he appropriated to his own
purposes. It is further known that ultimately he fled the place, fearing
discovery, and that after his flight the image was discovered broken and
the cunning engine by which this diabolical sacrilege was perpetrated was
revealed."
Throughout the reading, the fleshy eyes of the inquisitor had been
steadily, inscrutably regarding me. He passed a hand over his pendulous
chin, as the thin voice faded into silence.
"You have heard," said he.
"I have heard a tangle of falsehood," answered I. "Never was truth more
untruly told than this."
The beady eyes vanished behind narrowing creases of fat; and yet I knew
that they were still regarding me. Presently they appeared again.
"Do you deny that the image contained this hideous engine of fraud?"
"I do not," I answered.
"Set it down," he eagerly bade one of the amanuenses. "He confesses thus
much.
Pages:
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408