"You shall see," Herman answered, falling in with his desire. "Look
at that spot there, where the rock by the door has scaled off ever so
slightly."
"Here?" asked Heinrich, touching it with his finger.
Herman nodded. "Press hard."
Heinrich tried it again and again, watching with eager interest how
the door moved back and forth at his will. Then the bearded face lit
up with childish glee.
"I have been here before!" he exclaimed, looking round the place.
"It was here that I saw them with Mistress Margaret. Yes, it was
here. I shall often come here, and won't I spoil the Egyptians!"
He hugged himself at the thought, and was exultant while Herman led
him to the cave's entrance, where they saw the great river rolling by
in solemn silence, but shining under the moon's still rays. Heinrich
gazed in all directions, and, rubbing his hands, he whispered, as
though the bush had listeners in it:
"I know! I came into the cavern by this entrance. Yonder I shall
find the gate. Away in that direction is the Burgomaster's house.
Oh yes, I know! But let me be sure. There is this bush and that
gleaming bit of rock, like a dog's head. Yes, 'tis the same. And to
think of the dismay of the black Familiars when they come from time
to time and find one of the cells empty! this one to-day, and that
one to-morrow!"
He stopped, with a puzzled look on his face.
"I want to take you to Mistress Margaret, but I cannot. We are
outside the city walls, and we may not go in again till dawn of day,
when the gates are opened. Let us go back to that accursed house,
and into the garden, and climb the wall."
Herman smiled as he watched Heinrich's anxiety.
"There is no need. I am going to take you by a private way if you
will give me your solemn promise never to betray it to anyone."
The other looked at him reproachfully.
"How could you think I would do so base a thing?" he cried. "I, who
love so much those who have been kind to me? How could you even
think of it?"
Taking Herman's hand, Heinrich gazed into his eyes still more, and
presently a tear fell down the poor fellow's face, and yet another,
and many more.
"How could you think it?" he exclaimed again, protestingly.
"Dry up your tears, Heinrich!" Herman exclaimed hastily. "I never
doubted you. I only wanted you to know the consequences of a
careless word, for it might mean death to one or many of your
friends."
"And you can trust me?"
"As much as I can trust myself," Herman answered.
"Then I am content. Come! Let us be going, for Mistress Margaret
will be anxious since I have been so long away."
Before many minutes had gone they had passed through the doorway of
rock which the eagle eyes of the keenest of the Familiars would never
have suspected as an entrance, then through Tyndale's room and up the
secret stairs into Herman's home. His mother heard him coming, and
then the story, just where they met, was told.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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