n playing during the last month. Now that his main point was
gained he was willing to make every little concession in his power.

"You needn't put the irons on again," he said, glancing at the bruised
and swollen wrists. "And he can stay in his own cell. The condemned cell
is wretchedly dark and gloomy," he added, turning to his nephew; "and
really the thing's a mere formality."

He coughed and shifted his feet in evident embarrassment; then called
back the sergeant, who was leaving the room with his prisoner.

"Wait, sergeant; I want to speak to him."

The Gadfly did not move, and the Governor's voice seemed to fall on
unresponsive ears.

"If you have any message you would like conveyed to your friends or
relatives---- You have relatives, I suppose?"

There was no answer.

"Well, think it over and tell me, or the priest. I will see it is not
neglected. You had better give your messages to the priest; he shall
come at once, and stay the night with you. If there is any other
wish----"

The Gadfly looked up.

"Tell the priest I would rather be alone. I have no friends and no
messages."

"But you will want to confess."

"I am an atheist. I want nothing but to be left in peace."

He said it in a dull, quiet voice, without defiance or irritation; and
turned slowly away. At the door he stopped again.

"I forgot, colonel; there is a favour I wanted to ask. Don't let them
tie me or bandage my eyes to-morrow, please. I will stand quite still."

*****

At sunrise on Wednesday morning they brought him out into the courtyard.
His lameness was more than usually apparent, and he walked with evident
difficulty and pain, leaning heavily on the sergeant's arm; but all the
weary submission had gone out of his face. The spectral terrors that
had crushed him down in the empty silence, the visions and dreams of the
world of shadows, were gone with the night which gave them birth; and
once the sun was shining and his enemies were present to rouse the
fighting spirit in him, he was not afraid.

The six carabineers who had been told off for the execution were drawn
up in line against the ivied wall; the same crannied and crumbling wall
down which he had climbed on the night of his unlucky attempt. They
could hardly refrain from weeping as they stood together, each man with
his carbine in his hand. It seemed to them a horror beyond imagination
that they should be called out to kill the Gadfly. He and his stinging
repart