"Because I know the secrets of the prison house--knew them before the Danes had murdered the once happy dwellers in this garden of England, which they have made a howling wilderness; hence I escaped the wrath of the furious parricide, whom the saints destroy, with ease, and laughed in security at their vain efforts to take me; but we must waste no time; it yet wants five hours to daybreak; within those five hours we must reach the opposite shore." "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."