s---- Ah, what matter, so he could but sleep!

"This grave is mine!" It was Gladys; and she raised her head and stared
at him over the rotting shroud. Then he knelt down and stretched out his
arms to her.

"Gladys! Gladys! Have a little pity on me; let me creep into this narrow
space and sleep. I do not ask you for your love; I will not touch you,
will not speak to you; only let me lie down beside you and sleep! Oh,
love, it is so long since I have slept! I cannot bear another day. The
light glares in upon my soul; the noise is beating my brain to dust.
Gladys, let me come in here and sleep!"

And he would have drawn her shroud across his eyes. But she shrank away,
screaming:

"It is sacrilege; you are a priest!"

On and on he wandered, and came out upon the sea-shore, on the barren
rocks where the fierce light struck down, and the water moaned its low,
perpetual wail of unrest. "Ah!" he said; "the sea will be more merciful;
it, too, is wearied unto death and cannot sleep."

Then Arthur rose up from the deep, and cried aloud:

"This sea is mine!"

*****

"Your Eminence! Your Eminence!"

Montanelli awoke with a start. His servant was knocking at the door. He
rose mechanically and opened it, and the man saw how wild and scared he
looked.

"Your Eminence--are you ill?"

He drew both hands across his forehead.

"No; I was asleep, and you startled me."

"I am very sorry; I thought I had heard you moving early this morning,
and I supposed------"

"Is it late now?"

"It is nine o'clock, and the Governor has called. He says he has
very important business, and knowing Your Eminence to be an early
riser------"

"Is he downstairs? I will come presently."

He dressed and went downstairs.

"I am afraid this is an unceremonious way to call upon Your Eminence,"
the Governor began.

"I hope there is nothing the matter?"

"There is very much the matter. Rivarez has all but succeeded in
escaping."

"Well, so long as he has not quite succeeded there is no harm done. How
was it?"

"He was found in the courtyard, right against the little iron gate.
When the patrol came in to inspect the courtyard at three o'clock this
morning one of the men stumbled over something on the ground; and when
they brought the light up they found Rivarez lying across the path
unconscious. They raised an alarm at once and called me up; and when I
went to examine his cell I found all the window-bars filed through and
a rope mad