“My father would give his life for you, miladi,” said Pauline earnestly, and hurried from the room again. “Have no fear, Gabrielle, your lover shall be free to-night. We can get him from the cell where he lies; but it is more difficult to get him from the Castle. Yet where can he remain until the chance offers? Come, child, let us set our woman’s wits to work.” “What is this turret cell that both you and Pauline were afraid even to mention to me? I saw the looks that passed between you.” The Duchess paused for a moment and thought anxiously. “You had best know, perhaps, Gabrielle, for you may have to use the secrets of the place. It is the place which you may have heard called the ‘Tiger’s Den.’ A place of devilish contrivances where prisoners are put to the question and where many dark deeds have been done.” “Do you mean they would dare to torture him?” cried Gabrielle. “I tell you merely that you may know the urgency of the matter. But diabolical as the place is, it may yet serve our purpose better than another. It stands high up in the north turret, and its one barred window overlooks the courtyard, sixty feet below. Death waits for the unhappy prisoner who thus seeks escape; and many a man has gone that way to his death. But with a stout rope, a clever climber can reach the bottom safely; yes, yes, I have the idea,” she cried. “Let me think.” “Tell me. I am on fire.” “One devilment of the place is this. A part of the wall with the portion of the floor next to it is false. On this the prisoner’s pallet is laid; and when the wretched man is asleep the floor and the wall together can be turned outward with sudden swiftness by the hidden mechanism, and the sleeper is shot out and down to his death on the stones below. The wall is then replaced and by another hidden trick the bars of the windows are made to appear as if wrenched from their places, and thus the suggestive evidence is ready to show that the prisoner has killed himself in an attempt to escape.” “Can such things be possible?” “There is no limit to man’s cruelty to man, child; we can use this window trick for our end. I can tell you how to find the spring that moves the bars; you can take to your prisoner such a rope as would enable him to escape, open the bars, leave the rope dangling from the casement to suggest he has so fled; and then bring him here, where he can lie hid until we can find means to smuggle him out of the Castle and Morvaix.” “Would God it were dark already,” exclaimed Gabrielle eagerly. “Till the time comes, the seconds will be as hours.” At that moment they were interrupted and news was brought that Lucette was asking for Gabrielle. CHAPTER XVI PASCAL AND THE SPY Lucette’s visit to the Castle in quest of Gabrielle was the result of several causes which had important bearing upon the position.