now in the castle. Those bonds were now safer in his
own possession than anywhere else, and never could he hope for a better
chance than this. As for Rita, she must have fled, he thought, with the
other fugitives, and with her had fled his worst fear.

With such thoughts as these, the martial Russell sheathed his warlike
sword and walked back again toward the castle. Here he entered the hall
where the others were talking, and, passing through, entered the
well-remembered room where he had been confined. He looked all around. He
was alone. He walked to the chimney. He looked up. Through the broad
opening at the top he saw the sky. In the gloom of the shaft he saw also
that opening in which he had placed the precious parcel.

All seemed as it had been, and he felt convinced that his papers were
safe. Further examination, however, was, just now, not advisable. He would
have to light a torch, and some of his friends might come in just as he
was going up or coming down. So he concluded to defer his search until
they had gone out of the way a little, until which time the package would
be quite safe. In the mean time he thought he would go back and hear what
they were all talking about.

Coming back again, he saw them all going in different directions, and, as
a matter of course, he followed those who were nearest and dearest,
namely, Katie and Harry. He stood and listened with a benignant smile to
their loving words. He gazed complacently upon their outrageous and
unbounded spooning. He had no objection now to any one whom Katie might
choose. To Ashby he felt repugnance on account of former quarrels, but to
Harry none whatever. Even to Ashby he would have yielded, for prejudices
die out quickly in a Castle of Spain. And so, as we have seen, the good
Russell interrupted the happy lovers in a paternal way, and did the "heavy
father" to perfection--with outstretched hands, moistened eyes, and "Bless
you, bless you, my children!"

The subject of flight was already before them, and this was for Russell
the most acceptable possible. He felt that he could give valuable
information, since he himself had been a fugitive. Every step of the way
was well remembered by him. In a few minutes he had made them acquainted
with the story of his former escape, and the adventurous Harry at once
decided that this would be the very way by which he could carry off Katie
and himself from their embarrassing surroundings. For various reasons he
wis