aid he pitied you
very much, though he was unable to obtain your liberty, which he wished
to do. I hurried here to tell you this, as I thought it would give you
pleasure. I must now go back to get the chambers ready for you, and
will return with two of the under gaolers to conduct you to it. One
caution I have to give you. Do not mind what I say to you before
others, and never answer any of my remarks."

Without waiting for our reply and thanks, Sancho closed the prison door,
and left us to ourselves.

"We have to thank Don Eduardo for this. I am sure he is the officer
Sancho spoke of," I remarked.

"I think so also," answered Pedro. "I am glad that he has not asked us
to pass our word not to escape."

"So am I," I observed. "While we were on our road here, I often
contemplated the possibility of getting out of prison; but then I did
not expect to be put into a dungeon like this."

For some time we could talk of nothing else but the prospect of making
our escape.

Two hours or more had passed away, and Sancho had not returned. We knew
that he would not willingly have deceived us, but we began to be afraid
that the governor had rescinded his permission for our occupying a room
open to the air, and that we might be doomed to remain in our dungeon
for weeks or months longer. At last we heard footsteps approaching the
cell; the door was opened, and Sancho and his two assistants appeared.

"You are to accompany me, Senores," he said, in the gruff tone he had
used at our entrance. "You are fortunate in coming out of that place
alive; though some I have known would rather have had to remain there
than be obliged to march out into the square yonder."

The assistants laughed as he said this, and we soon had too great a
reason to know to what he alluded. Sancho led the way with a torch in
his hand; and his assistants followed, holding us tightly by the arms,
as if we would have tried to escape from them. I certainly could not
have done so had I tried, for when I came to mount the steps, I found my
knees trembling under me from weakness, arising from being shut up so
long in the damp dungeon, though I had till then thought myself as
strong as ever. We traversed a number of passages, and mounted a second
flight of steps, when we reached a small door plated with iron. Sancho
opened it, and exhibited a room about six feet broad and eight feet
long, with a window strongly barred at the further end. There were t