His wife however discovered the place of his confinement and she obtained permission to supply him with a few necessaries.
The usurper, who still retained a trace of humanity had restored to her son whom the soldiers had carried off; but this was only a passing favour, the natural ferocity of the tyrant softened but for a moment.
She was suspected of having concealed immense wealth, and that was quite sufficient cause for her to be treated as a criminal. Her weapons, documents and even her clothes were taken away; a guard was posted in front of her house and a sentry at the door of her room. The brutal soldiers who watched all her actions caused her to complain bitterly. "Well" she remarked "What have I done to be thus treated like a felon." But ashamed of her weakness she rose superior to fear and misfortune. She had need of all her fortitude and contempt for earthly possessions. Two days afterwards an armed force seized the furniture, money and jewels which the palace contained. Unmindful of the loss of so much property she cried out. "At last God alone remains for us and no one can take Him from us."
The insatiable spoilers suspected that she had hidden the bulk of her wealth and their pitiless leader threatened her with death. He ordered two executioners to come forward and at a signal, they struck her on the arms without regard for the weakness of her sex. Her grandfather and son witnessed her sufferings and showed their sympathy by cries and tears. All the servants who had chosen to share their sorrows were punished for showing their sympathetic attitude.
The wretched family knelt at the feet of the official, who, enraged at not being able to find a new victim, ordered the executioners to redouble their blows. "Alas" cried the wretched woman covered with blood, "have mercy on me or at least take me away that my relations see not my sufferings."
These words coming from a woman aged twenty-two years who was both beautiful and of a noble disposition made not the slightest impression on the official. He ordered her to be taken away together with her son and her slaves and only set her grandfather free on account of his age and infirmities.
For a long time no one knew where she had been imprisoned. A missionary, passing by the palace stables saw her aunt who had been confined with her. With difficulty he obtained permission to see her for a moment. He found her in a dismal dungeon, stretched on a mat with her unhappy and innocent son by her side whose lamentations seemed to reproach her for having brought him into the world to suffer.
