"How can I help you? If it comes to that, I'm in quite as bad a fix as you are."
"No, I think not," he continued gravely. "I shouldn't be at all surprised if you find yourself at liberty to-night."
"What do you mean?" I asked, jumping at the hope he held out. "What do you think can bring such a thing about?"
"Never mind, you wait and see. But if you do get off, will you pledge yourself to assist me?"
"If I do get off," I said, "I could inform the consul of your being here, and he would get you out himself."
"No, no, that would never do; I've been thinking it over. If the consul gets wind of it, he'll make inquiries; then the matter will get bruited about, and will be certain to come to the ears of the Albino's agents."
"Why, of course. You don't imagine that little devil hasn't arranged for somebody to watch your movements here, and at the same time to hunt about for me! Bless your heart, now that he knows I'm alive, I'd bet a thousand pounds to a half-penny he finds out I'm in here."
"Good heavens," I cried, "it's a perfect network of plots and counterplots, and I seem fated not to understand it. Now you're alive, and still the possessor of your money, what do they want that locket for? They can never hope to find out where you buried the gold."
"The gold you obtained by your last legacy when you were in San Francisco."
"Sonny, they've been playing you again. What do you mean? I never had any legacy."
Thereupon I set to work and told him the story Juanita had told me. He laughed uproariously, then smacking me on the shoulder said--
"You just help me to get out of here, and you'll see what I'm worth. I promise you'll not find me ungrateful."
"Well, if I do get off," I answered, "I give you my word that I'll do my best for you."
We shook hands gravely upon it, and I continued--
"In what way do you propose to effect your escape? If we're going to make any plans, we'd better set to work upon them at once."
"Walk over here with me and I'll tell you all I think."
With that we began to pace the courtyard, and Veneda to propound his theory.
"Now," he said, "my idea is this. You see that further wall?"
I nodded. It was, as I have said before, a stone affair, perhaps thirty feet in height, surmounted by a bristling _cheval de frise_.