the conclusion that
she was a woman of resources, who had travelled much at some time or
other, and who could hold her tongue. She would certainly think of some
expedient, and would succeed in placing her mistress under some sort of
protection. His own mind always instinctively ran in the direction of an
ecclesiastical solution of any difficulty in life; if he himself were
starving and friendless in a strange city he would knock at the door of
a Franciscan monastery and beg for shelter and work. He therefore
concluded that Pina would naturally have taken Ortensia directly to a
convent, where they would both be cared for; the serving-woman would
take care to be informed of what happened to Stradella, and as soon as
he was let out she would communicate with him.

Moreover, as compared with the fate of the musician, Cucurullo cared
little what became of Ortensia; for his devotion to his master filled
his whole life, whereas the young girl's only claim to his attachment
was that Stradella was in love with her. On the other hand, the pious
serving-man saw in the present separation of the two a special
intervention of Providence for the purpose of keeping the lovers apart
till they could be duly and properly married. From this point of view to
putting Ortensia out of his thoughts altogether was only a step, and he
devoted every energy to the liberation of his master.

Having come to this conclusion in a much shorter time than it has taken
to explain his reasons, he again thanked his new friend, promising to
come back for dinner at noon, and adding that he would go over to the
castle gate and gather such information as he could. He was hindered
from doing so at once, however, by the preparations for the Nuncio's
departure, which has been already described. He mixed with the crowd
that had gathered to see the sight, and waited till some time had
elapsed after the Legate and the guard had gone in before he approached
the drawbridge.

The single sentinel had now returned to his beat, but half-a-dozen of
the halberdiers were loitering about the door of the guard-room within
the deep archway, at some distance from the gate. The sentry stopped
Cucurullo and asked his business.

'I am the servant of the gentleman who has been arrested by mistake at
the inn,' the hunchback answered humbly. 'My master had sent me out on
an errand, and when I came in I learnt the news. So I have come to wait
for him.'

'I am afraid you may wait lo