"Good-bye, Francisco," said Leonard in a choking voice; "surely the
Kingdom of Heaven is made up of such as you."

"Do not weep, my friend," answered the priest, "for there in that
kingdom I hope to greet you and her."

And so these friends parted.

CHAPTER XXXI

THE WHITE DAWN

Lifting Juanna in his arms, Leonard hurried from the sleeping apartment
to the throne-room, where he halted hesitating, for he did not know what
was to happen next. Soa, who had preceded him, surrounded by the four
priests and with a torch in her hand, stood against that wall of the
chamber where she had lain bound on the night of the drugging of Otter.

"Bald-pate has fainted with fear, he is a coward," she said to the
priests, pointing to the burden in Leonard's arms; "open the secret way,
and let us pass on."

Then a priest came forward, and pressed upon a stone in the wall, which
gave way, leaving a space sufficiently large for him to insert his hand
and pull upon some hidden mechanism with all his force. Thereon a piece
of the wall swung outward as though upon a pivot, revealing a flight of
steps, beyond which ran a narrow passage. Soa descended first, bearing
the light, which she was careful to hold in such a way as to keep the
figure of Leonard, and the burden that he bore, in comparative darkness.
After her went two priests, followed by Leonard, carrying Juanna, the
rear being brought up by the remaining priests, who closed the secret
door behind them.

"So that is how it is done," thought Leonard to himself, turning his
head to watch the process, no detail of which escaped him.

Otter, who had followed Leonard from Juanna's chamber, saw them go,
though from some little distance, for, like a cat, the dwarf could see
in the dark. When the rock had closed again, he returned to Francisco,
who sat upon the bed lost in prayer or thought.

"I have seen how they make a hole in the wall," he said, "and pass
through it. Doubtless our comrades, the Settlement men, went that way.
Say, shall we try it?"

"What is the use, Otter?" answered the priest. "The road leads only to
the dungeons of the temple; if we got so far we should be caught there,
and everything would be discovered, including this trick," and he
pointed to the robes of Aca, which he wore.

"That is true," said Otter. "Come, then, let us go and sit upon the
thrones and wait till they fetch us."

So they went to the great chairs and sat themselves down in them,
list