Prince can recover his losses; though I tell
you, as long as any life remains in the land, he is the man who must
take the lead. Now, then, listen to my plan. You have marked the house
well, you say. Two hours after noon to-morrow, when the lieges of this
city are kneeling before the statue of their tyrant, do you come to the
door and knock thrice. I will be within; and if the young lady has not
in the meantime been removed, I will find the means of bringing her down
and delivering her into your hands. The rest must depend upon your
courage and resolution. The risk is great, and so must be my reward."

Knowing well what she meant, I placed a portion of the gold I had
received in her hand, and promised her a yet further sum as soon as,
through her means, Aveline was rescued.

"And now, dame," I said, recollecting the preacher and his too probable
fate, should he not be set at liberty, "what help can you render the
other prisoner I spoke of? will gold not find its way to his jailers'
hearts?"

"That task would be a more difficult one even than the other," she
answered; "yet, could I find out where he is shut up, I might perchance
accomplish it."

"Cannot your art help you?" I asked.

She turned a quick glance round at me.

"It is a matter in which I am not disposed to exercise it," she
answered. "Now go your ways, and make your arrangements for rescuing
the young lady. Come here again to-night at ten o'clock, and perhaps by
that time I may be able to give you further information."

Having said this, the old woman, as if suddenly recollecting that she
had been too matter-of-fact in the way of dealing with us, went to her
cauldron, and poking up the fire, began to mutter various cabalistic
words, at the same time stirring its contents with her wand.

Taking this as a sign that she wished our visit to terminate, without
further waste of words we returned by the way we had come, the doors
opening as before, without our touching the latch, while the last one
shut with a loud slam behind us, and we heard bars and bolts immediately
drawn across it, showing us that some person had been concealed close to
the door. Soon after we reached the house Captain Radford arrived.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

THE ESCAPE FROM PRISON.

I need not describe the inquiries made by Captain Radford. I briefly
explained the plan I proposed for recovering Aveline; he approved of
what I had done.

"I can bring a force of twent