He was roused by an unbolting of bars, the turning of huge, unwieldy keys, and the lieutenant of the castle stood before him.

Dumiger was in that state of mind when whatever of pride belongs to the consciousness of innocence loses its strength.  Though there was little to invite confidence in the outward demeanor of the functionary, he ran toward him, seized him by both hands, and exclaimed, “Have pity upon me, sir; tell me why I am here!”

“Pooh, pooh,” replied the bronzed old Cerberus:  “be a man.”

“Be a man!” shrieked Dumiger, “I am a man:  and it is because I am a man, a free man of Dantzic, that I appeal against this monstrous treatment.  Be a man! why, I appeal to you, sir, to be a man, and to give up that situation, if it can only be retained by cruelty to others.  I say again, be you a man, and cease to torture me.”

The lieutenant continued looking at him with the most perfect indifference.  He whistled a tune, took the only two turns in the cell which its extent permitted, and then, as if a sudden recollection had struck him, put two letters into Dumiger’s hands.

“Come, you are not very ill treated, young man, when you are allowed to read.”

Dumiger felt a glow of delight thrill through his frame.  Everything is by comparison, and after the pain be had endured, the sight of two letters, the one in the handwriting of Marguerite, the other of Carl, made his heart leap with joy.  They seemed to him to be the guarantees of immediate safety.

The lieutenant still remained near him.  Dumiger would not open the letters in his presence.  At last the officer, after some minutes’ delay, and having sung sundry snatches of martial airs, gave Dumiger a contemptuous, indignant glance, and stalked out of the cell, taking care to rattle the bolts and bars as a punishment to Dumiger for not gratifying his curiosity.  Poor devil, it was his only amusement to pry into the prisoners’ secrets.

“How is the lad?” asked the second in command when his commander appeared.

“Better than he will be when he knows the charges for which he is shut up.  At present he is under the impression it is only for debt; but when he learns it is for treason, he will whimper and whine even more than he has been doing.”

“What, so young and a traitor!” exclaimed the subaltern, who was evidently the kinder spirit of the two.  “It is almost incredible.”

“It may be,” continued the lieutenant.  “I have directions from the Grand Master and Council to keep a strict watch over him.  They say that he is a most dangerous character.  But I never trouble myself much about these kind of fellows.  I do my duty quietly.  Meanwhile, I have given him letters which won’t add to his happiness much when he reads them, if I am to believe what the inspector told me, who of course read them and sealed them again.”