These were the honourable means they found to accommodate the parties. I had no sooner signed this declaration against my honour and my conscience than I was discharged; and, in truth, what would not I have written? What would not a man say or do to get out of prison? Those who know what it is to live in such a place will excuse me for having proclaimed a thief to be an honest man for the sake of my liberty. I repaired immediately to my inn, where I found Sayavedra in a most disconsolate state of mind, much doubting whether the application of my solicitor, and the scandalous reports in the town concerning my imprisonment, would prevail so far as to extricate me from confinement. This dear confidant was overjoyed to see me, whom he did not in the least expect. The gentlemen who lodged at the inn were just going to sit down to dinner. As soon as they saw me enter, they all embraced me, and wished me joy of my enlargement, telling me how much they had been concerned at my misfortune. During dinner the whole discourse ran upon my judges, and Heaven knows they did not spare them. For my part I spoke of them with a great deal of prudence, for fear of some new accident. CHAP. XXXVIII. _Guzman, being out of Prison, prepares to set off to Milan, but an opportunity offers of getting money, and he delays his journey._ Dinner being over, I ordered Sayavedra to hire horses for Milan, whither I intended to proceed the next day; for, after what had happened to me at Bologna, that place had now become more unpleasant and dangerous to me than Florence. Whilst my squire was gone to execute this commission, I called upon my lawyer again, and offered him my purse, but, still carrying on his generosity, he declined it, telling me that all he wished of me was to be persuaded that he regretted nothing so much as his inability to obtain me justice. I replied, that I felt as much obliged to him as if he had obtained for me a restitution of all I had lost; and we parted with the most sincere protestations of service and friendship.