“Will you do me the kindness to persuade her to see me?”

“I am sure, sir, she will refuse; because she desires most especially to be shielded from your visits.”

“Nevertheless, I intend to see her.  Please say that I am here, and have brought the papers Mr. Singleton desired me to prepare for her.”

Ten minutes elapsed before the warden’s wife returned, shaking her head: 

“She prefers not seeing you, but thanks you for the paper which she wishes left with Mr. Singleton.  When she has read it, Mr. Singleton will probably bring you some message.  She hopes you will believe that she is very grateful for your attention to her request.”

“Go back and tell her that unless she admits me, she shall never see the paper, for I distinctly decline to put it in any hand but hers; and, moreover, tell her she asked me to obtain for her a certain article which, for reasons best known to herself, she holds very dear.  This is her only opportunity to receive it, which must be directly from me.  Say that this is the last time I will insist upon intruding, and after to-day she shall not he allowed the privilege of refusing me an audience.  I am here solely in her behalf, and I am determined to see her now.”

When Mrs. Singleton came back the second time, she appeared unwontedly subdued, perplexed; and her usually merry eyes were gravely fixed with curious intentness upon the face of her visitor.

“The room straight ahead of you, with the door partly open, at the end of this corridor.  She sees you ’only on condition that this is to be the final annoyance’.  Mr. Dunbar, you were born to tyrannize.  It seems to me you have merely to will a thing, in order to accomplish it.”

“If that were true, do you suppose I would allow her to remain one hour in this accursed cage of blood-smeared criminals?”

Down the dim corridor he walked slowly, as if in no haste to finish his errand, stepped into the designated cell, and closed the door behind him.

CHAPTER XXIII.

The apartment eight by twelve feet possessed the redeeming feature of a high ceiling, and on either side of the southwest corner wall, a window only two feet wide allowed the afternoon sunshine to print upon the bare floor the shadow of longitudinal iron bars fastened into the stone sills.  A narrow bedstead, merely a low black cot of interlacing iron straps, stood against the eastern side, and opposite, a broad shelf, also of iron, ran along the walls and held a tin ewer and basin, a few books, and a pile of clothing neatly folded.

Across the angle niche between the windows a wooden bench had been drawn; in front of it stood a chair and oval table, on which lay some sheets of paper, pen and ink, and a great bunch of yellow jasmine, and wild pink azaleas that lavishly sprinkled the air with their delicate spicery.  Pencils, crayons, charcoal and several large squares of cardboard and drawing-paper were heaped at one end of the bench, and beside these sat the occupant of the cell, leaning with folded arms on the table in front of her; and holding in her lap the vicious, ocelot-eyed yellow cat.