“But tell me, I cannot understand, why hast thou braved the wrath of Sweyn? why hast thou cared for me?”

“All in good time, follow me now, I bid thee by the memory of Aescendune.”

“Aescendune! surely I dream.”

“Yes, of Aescendune.  I have heard that thou art thence.  Now waste no more time.”

More and more mystified, for he had never to his knowledge seen the speaker before, Alfgar gazed at the gleeman.

He appeared of noble air and mien, but was evidently but a young man; he was somewhat above the average height, and looked as though he could wield the sword as well as the harp.  But how were they to escape?

Alfgar was not left long in doubt.  The stranger took up the lamp and walked to the farthest recess of the dungeon, where, concealed amongst the rude carvings with which the builders had ornamented the wall, was a rose carved in stone.  The gleeman pressed it sharply, and a hidden door sprang open, revealing a winding staircase excavated in the solid wall.

“Upwards it leads to the banqueting hall, and you can comprehend my escape this evening,” said he; “but our path is now downwards, unless you would like to go up and see the drunken beasts of murderers snoring off their debauch upon the floor as they fell; oh, that it were lawful for a Christian man to cut their throats as they lie; many innocent lives would be saved thereby, which those brutes will live to destroy.”

“Thou art, then, a Christian?”

The gleeman crossed himself piously.

“Why not?” said he.

“I heard you sing like a scald tonight.”

“It was my part, and I acted it passing well, did I not?  Sweyn would own as much; but, pardon me, I am forgetting that my daring put you in danger.”

“How did you know that?”

“I heard every word; and perhaps I might even have risked more than this to save you.”

Meanwhile they had descended nearly a hundred steps, and the atmosphere became singularly cold and charnel-like, when they entered a large vault, which, by the light of their torches, appeared of great extent.  Its walls were covered with uncouth representations, and inscriptions in Latin.

“What place is this?”

“It had some connection, I believe, with the old idolatry, and that is all I know.  This passage will guide us to daylight and liberty.”

Following a short and narrow passage, they emerged upon a ruined vault, whose roof had fallen in.  Climbing out with some difficulty, and disturbing in the process hundreds of bat-mice and not a few rats, they found themselves in the midst of some old ruins at the foot of the acclivity whereon the fortress was built, and below them the brook ran rapidly to join the river.

“Thanks be to God for our preservation in that den of unclean lions!” said the gleeman; “but had they known who was amongst them, he would have had scant chance of escape.”