With a roar, a figure bounded out of the darkness of the cell, and whirling long arms about the beast, fell with and upon him, and battered out his brains upon the stone floor. It all passed in a moment; and in that moment I knew my lost monster again, gaunt and foul and tattered, yet even in his wasted strength a god, and glorious. Then against a coming tumult and scurry of feet I flung my body. “Back!” I shrieked; “the king gives me a life! I claim his--do you hear? If by a hair it is injured, the bitter worse for you all!” Sobbing, burning, in a flurry of passion, I threw myself, an hour later in the palace, at the king’s knees. “Sire,” I cried, “I claim your royal promise. I ask mercy for a friend.” Taken off his guard, bewitched, perhaps, “It is granted,” he said. Then he recovered himself, and laughed, and patted my shoulder. “_Enfin_,” he said; “what has he done?” “He has killed a gaoler who was ill-treating a prisoner.” He startled, frowned, then laughed again, but less easily. “O, well,” he said, “a gaoler is no great matter. But I must know his name first.” “Sire, it is my own servant Gogo, that you have robbed me of this long time.” “O, him!” he said, relieved. “Well, perhaps, after all, we owe him a gaoler or two.” XXXI. I KNOW MY OWN HEART I had hardly got into the street before a hand touched my arm. I turned and saw Gogo. “It was you,” he said, “won my deliverance this morning?” “Yes.” “From the king?” “From the king.” He said not a word more. I questioned him in my turn. “I sent you a message by the courier. Why did you not come direct to me?” “I had business first. I answered, ‘If you will tell her that I will witness for her and bring my report this evening, she will understand.’” “I understood nothing but that you were in no hurry to thank me.” He made no reply. “It is only after a struggle with my pride, sir,” I continued, “that I am here to keep your appointment. I think, perhaps, your business might have kept better.” “Do you? Well, perhaps, after all, you have a shallow wit.” I looked at him in dumb amaze. We were loitering on, to me aimlessly, though I knew presently how all the time he had been rigidly enforcing our direction. The city was in its hottest night-fever of excitement over the executions that had taken place that day, in a mood already too monstrous to take much heed of the shock and tattered prodigy that stumped by my side. Once, passing a group, I caught a name, and startled, and was hurrying on; but he snatched my wrist, and forced me to linger, absorbing horror to the dregs. I knew his temper by that, and to what I had delivered myself; but I never feared him so much as when he would not speak. “Gogo,” I whispered suddenly, “you will give me credit for having known nothing of your state all this time. Whenever I asked M. de’ Medici, he assured me of your comfort and prosperity. I am not to blame if he is a cursed liar.” He did not answer.