fession, enough to delight the magistrates. Chiefly I'll emphasize your
complete innocence and my brother's malignity. I'll have to save some
others along with you and I shall. But, to a certainty, I'll save you!

"It seems to me there is a poplar-pole somewhere in this dungeon."

He felt about and presently I heard a dull thumping, on the trap-door, in
a sort of rhythm, like the foot-beating of spectators at Oscan dances.
After no long interval the trapdoor was lifted; Crispinillus called up:

"Tell them I have changed my mind. I'll confess. I'll make a full
confession. I'll tell the whole story!"

The trap-door was replaced and we were again in complete darkness.

He settled himself beside me in the straw.

"No need to husband our provisions now," he said. "Neither of us will be
left long in this hole. Let's comfort ourselves with food and wine."

I felt inclined the same way and we munched and passed the kidskin back
and forth.

"Tell me," I said, "how it was that your thumping brought such a quick
response."

"I signalled in the code of knocking known to all jailers," he said.

I expressed my amazement and incredulity.

"Don't you fool yourself," he said. "There is a certain sort of mutual
understanding between executioners and jailers on the one hand and
criminals on the other. There must be a give and take in all trades, even
between man-hunters and hunted men. They were on the watch for any signal
I might give, if it really meant anything. They were pleased to hear.
You'll see the results promptly."

In fact, after no long interval, the trap-door was lifted again and a rope
lowered, up which Crispinillus was bidden to climb.

He embraced me time after time, saying that we should never set eyes on
each other again and that, confession or no confession, he knew his doom
was not far off; but he wanted me, as long as I lived, to remember the
gratitude of Nona's husband, his thankfulness for my treatment of his
family and his efforts to requite the service.

"Keep up a good heart, lad," he said. "You won't be long here alone in the
dark, and you'll soon be as coddled and pampered as a man can be. Long
life to you and good luck and may you be soon married and raise a fine
family. Peace of mind and prosperity to you and yours and a green old age
to you!"

And he climbed the rope, hand over hand, like the best sailor on Libo's
yacht.

CHAPTER XL

SEVERUS

Not many hours later, I, sleeping so