f the last cell.

Roger and Harry glanced at one another, rose from their respective
stools, and stood upright facing the door. They had just time to give
each other a firm and reassuring hand-clasp, when the key grated in the
rusty lock outside, the bolts were slipped back with a grinding noise,
and the door creaked open on its hinges, disclosing, against the
semi-darkness of the long corridor, the form of a man, robed from head
to foot in black. Even his head and face were invisible, covered by a
kind of black cloth helmet terminating in a peak, and with two slits cut
in it for the eyes. Through these slits they could discern a pair of
fiery orbs, shining like those of a cat in the darkness, looking full at
them, as though to read their inmost thoughts.

If the mysterious visitor anticipated seeing any signs of alarm on the
lads' faces, he was disappointed, for the two stood up facing him, and
gave him back glance for glance.

Just for a single instant the same thought leapt through both their
brains: "Why not make a rush, knock the dark visitant down and stun him,
and attempt to find our way out of the building before aught is
discovered?" Indeed they both exchanged glances at that instant.

It seemed, however, as though the masked man read their thoughts; for,
stepping to one side of the door, he pointed silently down the corridor,
and there they saw what at first they had not observed, namely, a file
of similarly masked figures on each side of the passage, standing
against the walls, with naked swords in their hands.

It was of no use. Escape that way was, on the face of it, hopeless.
The masked messenger read the expression on the boys' faces as they
looked, and they could have sworn that a cruel smile lurked behind that
black mask. Then came a voice from the figure, in pure English, without
a trace of any foreign accent:

"You are both required to attend a scene of punishment. It is the order
of the Grand Inquisitor, and you are required to witness it as earnest
of what you yourselves will undergo here should you be foolish enough to
disobey, or in any way attempt to thwart, the wishes or designs of the
Holy Inquisition." Here he crossed himself. "A warning is but seldom
given to heretics; so accept this one as it is meant; for your own good
I tell you this. Now follow me, and be careful that you make no attempt
at escape, for it is absolutely impossible for you to succeed, and you
would but bring