should have been prepared."

"There is no need for any preparation. Will you kindly leave us alone,
sergeant; and wait at the foot of the stairs with your men?"

"Yes, Your Eminence. Here is the chair; shall I put it beside him?"

The Gadfly was lying with closed eyes; but he felt that Montanelli was
looking at him.

"I think he is asleep, Your Eminence," the sergeant was beginning, but
the Gadfly opened his eyes.

"No," he said.

As the soldiers were leaving the cell they were stopped by a sudden
exclamation from Montanelli; and, turning back, saw that he was bending
down to examine the straps.

"Who has been doing this?" he asked. The sergeant fumbled with his cap.

"It was by the Governor's express orders, Your Eminence."

"I had no idea of this, Signer Rivarez," Montanelli said in a voice of
great distress.

"I told Your Eminence," the Gadfly answered, with his hard smile, "that
I n-n-never expected to be patted on the head."

"Sergeant, how long has this been going on?"

"Since he tried to escape, Your Eminence."

"That is, nearly a week? Bring a knife and cut these off at once."

"May it please Your Eminence, the doctor wanted to take them off, but
Colonel Ferrari wouldn't allow it."

"Bring a knife at once." Montanelli had not raised his voice, but the
soldiers could see that he was white with anger. The sergeant took a
clasp-knife from his pocket, and bent down to cut the arm-strap. He
was not a skilful-fingered man; and he jerked the strap tighter with an
awkward movement, so that the Gadfly winced and bit his lip in spite of
all his self-control. Montanelli came forward at once.

"You don't know how to do it; give me the knife."

"Ah-h-h!" The Gadfly stretched out his arms with a long, rapturous sigh
as the strap fell off. The next instant Montanelli had cut the other
one, which bound his ankles.

"Take off the irons, too, sergeant; and then come here. I want to speak
to you."

He stood by the window, looking on, till the sergeant threw down the
fetters and approached him.

"Now," he said, "tell me everything that has been happening."

The sergeant, nothing loath, related all that he knew of the
Gadfly's illness, of the "disciplinary measures," and of the doctor's
unsuccessful attempt to interfere.

"But I think, Your Eminence," he added, "that the colonel wanted the
straps kept on as a means of getting evidence."

"Evidence?"

"Yes, Your Eminence; the day before yesterday I hear