“There is not,” O’Neil said.  “We have not got such a thing as a knife about us.  If we had, we could never saw through these thick bars; it would take a year of Sundays.”

“You are rather a Job’s comforter.  Now, do you get down, and let Kennedy and myself have a chance of a breath of fresh air, to say nothing of the view.”

A few minutes satisfied O’Sullivan, but Desmond, when he took his place, sat there considerably longer; while the other two, throwing themselves on their pallets, chatted gaily about Paris and their friends there.

“Well, what conclusions do you arrive at?” they asked, when he leapt down from his seat.

“They are not very cheering,” he replied, “and I recognize fully that we cannot possibly make our escape, without aid from without.”

“That is the same as to say that we cannot make our escape at all.”

“Not exactly.  We have found one unknown friend, who supplied us with our dinners.  There is no absolute reason why we should not find one who would supply us with means of escape.  There must be a great number of people who sympathize with us, and whose hearts are with King James.  I have seen several men come from the market, stand and look up at this prison, and then walk off, slowly, as if they were filled with pity for us.  Now, I propose that one of us shall always be at the window.”

“Oh, that is too much!” O’Sullivan said.  “That ledge is so narrow that I could hardly sit there, even holding on by the bars; and as to stopping there half an hour, I would almost as soon be on the rack.”

“There will be no occasion for that,” Desmond said.  “We can easily move one of the pallets under it, pile the other straw beds upon it, and, standing on these, we could look out comfortably, for our shoulders would be well above the ledge.”

“I don’t see that we should be nearer to it, then, Kennedy.”

“We should have gained this much:  that directly we saw any person looking up, with a sympathizing air, especially if of a class who could afford to do what is necessary for us, we could wave our hands and attract his attention.  If disposed to help us, he might give some sign.  If not, no harm would be done.  We might, too, tie a handkerchief to the bars, which in itself might be taken for an indication that there are followers of the Stuarts here.”

“But supposing all this turned out as you suggest it might, how could even the best disposed friend do anything to help us?”

“That is for after consideration.  Let us first find a friend, and we shall find a way to open communication with him.  We have no paper, but we could write the message on a piece of linen and drop it down.  As far as we can see, from here, there is nothing to prevent anyone coming up to the foot of the wall below us.”

For the next four days, nothing whatever happened.  They could see that the white handkerchief at the bars attracted some attention, for people stopped and looked up at it, but continued their way without making any gesture that would seem to show that they interested themselves, in any way, in the matter.