the leads,--from which, too, you must get down,--I do not
see how you can possibly succeed unless you have wings. I have not
courage enough to accompany you. I shall stay where I am and pray to
God for you."

I left him to inspect the outer roof, getting as close as I could to
the outer side of the loft. Having succeeded in touching the inside of
the rafters at the part where it was lowest, I perched myself on a
beam, such as are to be found under the roof of every large palace. I
poked at the rafters with the end of my bar, and to my joy found them
half-rotten; at each touch the wood fell in dust. Being sure,
therefore, that I could make a large enough opening in less than an
hour, I returned to my cell and spent the next four hours in cutting
up sheets, counterpanes, and mattress covers, to make ropes of. I took
care to tie all the knots myself, to be sure of their firmness, for a
single knot badly tied would have cost us our life. When all was done
I found we had about a hundred yards of rope. There are certain things
in every great enterprise which are of the highest importance, and for
which a leader worthy of the name trusts no one.

When the rope was finished, I made a bundle of my coat, my silk cloak,
some shirts, stockings, and handkerchiefs, and we all three went into
the Count's cell. This worthy man first congratulated Soradaci on
having been so lucky as to be put in the same room with me, and being
so soon enabled to recover his freedom. The man's stupid amazement
almost made me laugh. I no longer attempted any concealment, for I had
thrown off the mask of Tartuffe, which I had found most inconvenient
while this villain had compelled me to wear it. I saw that he was
convinced I had deceived him, but he could not understand how; for he
could not imagine how I had communicated with the sham angel so as to
make him come and go at fixed hours. He was listening eagerly to the
Count, who declared we were rushing on our fate; and, coward that he
was, he was revolving in his mind a scheme for avoiding the perilous
attempt. I told the monk to collect his things while I went to make
the hole in the roof of the loft.

At two hours after sunset the hole was finished; I had worked the
rafters to powder, and the opening was twice as large as was needful.
I could touch the sheet of lead outside. I could not raise it
single-handed, because it was riveted; the friar helped me, and by
pushing the crowbar between the gutte