you a message, and you took no notice of it?"

"I am sorry if Your Eminence is displeased. I did not wish to trouble
you over a mere impertinence like that; I know Rivarez well enough by
now to feel sure that he only wanted to insult you. And, indeed, if
you will allow me to say so, it would be most imprudent to go near him
alone; he is really dangerous--so much so, in fact, that I have thought
it necessary to use some physical restraint of a mild kind------"

"And you really think there is much danger to be apprehended from one
sick and unarmed man, who is under physical restraint of a mild kind?"
Montanelli spoke quite gently, but the colonel felt the sting of his
quiet contempt, and flushed under it resentfully.

"Your Eminence will do as you think best," he said in his stiffest
manner. "I only wished to spare you the pain of hearing this man's awful
blasphemies."

"Which do you think the more grievous misfortune for a Christian man;
to hear a blasphemous word uttered, or to abandon a fellow-creature in
extremity?"

The Governor stood erect and stiff, with his official face, like a face
of wood. He was deeply offended at Montanelli's treatment of him, and
showed it by unusual ceremoniousness.

"At what time does Your Eminence wish to visit the prisoner?" he asked.

"I will go to him at once."

"As Your Eminence pleases. If you will kindly wait a few moments, I will
send someone to prepare him."

The Governor had come down from his official pedestal in a great hurry.
He did not want Montanelli to see the straps.

"Thank you; I would rather see him as he is, without preparation. I will
go straight up to the fortress. Good-evening, colonel; you may expect my
answer to-morrow morning."

CHAPTER VI.

HEARING the cell-door unlocked, the Gadfly turned away his eyes with
languid indifference. He supposed that it was only the Governor, coming
to worry him with another interrogation. Several soldiers mounted
the narrow stair, their carbines clanking against the wall; then a
deferential voice said: "It is rather steep here, Your Eminence."

He started convulsively, and then shrank down, catching his breath under
the stinging pressure of the straps.

Montanelli came in with the sergeant and three guards.

"If Your Eminence will kindly wait a moment," the sergeant began
nervously, "one of my men will bring a chair. He has just gone to fetch
it. Your Eminence will excuse us--if we had been expecting you, we