rtunity might present itself for them to break away from
their custodian and effect their escape from the building, and
eventually from the city; but this hope was nipped in the bud when,
immediately outside the door of the dungeon, an armed guard, consisting
of half a dozen soldiers and a corporal, were seen to be awaiting them.
Evidently, the moment for escape was not yet.

To the surprise of both, when the prisoners arrived at the top of the
flight of stone steps leading from the dungeon they found that, instead
of being again conducted along the passage which led to the Governor's
quarters, as on the previous day, they were marched along another
corridor, and presently they found themselves in the street. But even
now there was no encouragement for them to attempt to escape, because,
besides being hemmed in by their escort of half a dozen soldiers, the
entire party were surrounded by a gaping, scowling, execrating mob of
ragged, unwashed ruffians, apparently the scum of the city, who would
have effectually frustrated any attempt on the part of the Englishmen to
break away from their guard and take to their heels; indeed if one might
have judged from the expression of their coarse, brutal features, and
the remarks which fell from their lips, nothing would have pleased them
better than for the prisoners to have made such an attempt, since it
would have afforded the mob a legitimate excuse for hunting the pair to
death. Nor were the prisoners permitted to remain very long in suspense
with regard to their destination; for when presently the soldiers
wheeled their charge into a certain street a loud murmur swept through
the accompanying mob of--"Heretics! they are heretics, and are being
taken to the Inquisition!"

So indeed it proved; for some five minutes later they arrived before a
big, gloomy, jail-like building, constructed of great blocks of stone,
and having a number of exceedingly small apertures in the wall, each
aperture being guarded by iron bars of quite unnecessary thickness. The
entrance to this place was a great gateway some twelve feet wide and
nearly twice as high, fitted with a pair of enormously solid wooden
doors, so heavy that each leaf was fitted with a roller running upon a
quadrant rail let into the pavement to facilitate opening. But it soon
became evident that these ponderous gates were only opened on special
occasions; for when, having halted the little party, the corporal in
charge tugged