As his dramatic show of force and Inez’ appeal following her aptly-timed rescue, had both failed, the next move was to send Miralda. But it was very long before she came, and the afternoon began to wane. I watched the fading light with eyes greedy for the darkness, for I knew that I might then look for some results of Bryant’s action. I was suffering considerable pain now. The cords which bound my arms to my sides had been so tightly drawn that all the blood in my body was congested, and I tossed and turned on the bed in vain efforts to find relief from the pressure. All my own worries were forgotten, however, when Miralda came, and I struggled up into a sitting posture and greeted her with a smile, as she crossed the room. Her face was very pale and careworn, her manner nervous and hesitating, and her eyes very troubled. She had no smile in answer to mine. “Inez tells me that you believe I am a prisoner here, Mr. Donnington. I have come to assure you that is not so. I did not return to you this morning because I found it would be useless for me to attempt to leave.” She said this nervously in a sort of monotone, and with the air of one repeating a lesson and afraid of forgetting the lines. The very tone contradicted every syllable; and as she finished, she whispered hurriedly in English: “Caution.” I understood the position instantly and played up to it. “I told you there was no danger. You might have trusted me,” I replied aloud in a tone of reproach; and then with a glance toward the door which she had left wide open, I whispered in English: “Listening?” She nodded quickly, and said in her own tongue: “You did not know. You could not know. Everything about last night has been discovered, and the city is being ransacked to find us.” “Not a bit of it. I am sure that nothing is yet known of the failure. This is said to frighten you;” and again I whispered quickly in English: “Are you a prisoner?” Again she answered with a quick significant nod, as she went on with her lesson. “I have come to beg of you to do what Dr. Barosa wishes. Inez says you are refusing because you think you can help me. But you can help me much better by doing this. I beg you with all my heart not to refuse any longer.” She was now able to speak with a much greater appearance of sincerity and earnestness; and as she finished this last appeal she whispered in English: “Don’t do it.” “You say I can help you better by freeing these men. Prove that to me, or let others prove it. Do you know that Dr. Barosa has told me that even if I yield to him I am to be taken from here on board a vessel sailing straight for England? How is that to help you?” and I laughed incredulously. Under cover of the sound of my laugh she whispered “Brazil, not England,” and then added, with a well-acted note of concern in her voice: “You are placing me in danger from some of these desperate men who believe that I am in league with you to betray them.”