It was only long afterwards that Esther gathered bit by bit, and told me, something of the circumstances of Harry De Lacy's imprisonment, for imprisonment it had been, till he was so weak that his bonds might safely be relaxed. He had been ill before that day when Lady O'Brien had sent for Sir Rupert. After that he found himself a prisoner, with Gaskin for his jailer; and the wretch hated him since his chastisement for his cruelty to the dogs. For many weeks Harry had lain, as he thought, slowly dying and half-delirious from want of proper food and care. In those weeks he was conscious, like one in a dream, of Gaskin's malevolent visage as he flung him food and drink twice a day. It might be years, he said, during which he had watched the short winter daylight creep up the walls and linger and vanish, and had endured the feverish torments of the night. Once he had thought he heard voices beside his bed. "'Tis only to loosen a plank 'idout on the lobby," said one, "an' lave the door open, an' before he knows where he is he'll be on the stones o' the hall below." The speech was followed by a crackling laugh, and the speaker rubbed his hands in glee. Then another voice, harsh and deep, answered: "No tricks, Gaskin, or by heavens, man, I'll tie you up like a dog in a sack and fling you to the hounds. Venom would make short work of your bones." Then the other voice answered surlily: "'Tis all the wan thing, only quicker, as lavin' him die in his bed." "And who said he was to die, you scoundrel? If he dies through any fault of yours, so much the worse for you!" growled the other voice. And then the speakers drifted off into the phantasmagoria of dreams and terrors which were the background of the sick man's life. After that he conceived a resolution to save himself. Instead of rejecting the food that was brought him he forced himself to eat, and while feigning unconsciousness or sleep when Gaskin came with the food, he held himself in readiness to guard his life, so far as his feeble strength would allow, if it were threatened, and watched for an opportunity to deliver himself out of the hands of his would-be murderer. In time Gaskin relaxed his guard of the door, believing his prisoner past helping himself, and this was Harry's opportunity. He had followed Gaskin one night, and listened to him and Sir Rupert talking over their whisky. From their talk he gathered that they would be at a distance on a certain day--that day of January on which, indeed, we effected his rescue. But for the happy accident of Johnny O'Flaherty's venturous approach to Castle Angry he would have made the attempt to escape unaided, and would probably have died under the rains if he had not been recaptured.