aching misery of the present--the cold and the pain, and the
darkness and the terrible solitude.

His nerveless fingers felt their way to the wall and faintly rapped
a summons.

"Valerian!" he said, "I shall not live through the night. Watch
with me."

The faint raps sounded clearly in the stillness of the great
building, and Valerian dreaded lest the warders should hear them,
and deal out punishment for an offence which by day they were forced
to wink at.

But he would not for the world have deserted his friend. He drew
his stool close to the wall, wrapped himself round in all the
clothes he could muster, and, shivering with cold, kept watch
through the long winter night.

"I am near you," he telegraphed. "I will watch with you till
morning."

From time to time Sigismund rapped faint messages, and Valerian
replied with comfort and sympathy. Once he thought to himself, "My
friend is better; there is more power in his hand." And indeed he
trembled, fearing that the sharp, emphatic raps must certainly
attract notice and put an end to their communion.

"Tell my love that the accusation was false--false!" the word was
vehemently repeated. "Tell her I died broken-hearted, loving her to