God, I always felt myself grow stronger, which fact amply proves the
usefulness of prayer, whether the renewal of strength come straight from
God, or whether it comes only from the trust one has in Him.

On the 25th of June, on which day the Republic celebrates the wonderful
appearance of St. Mark under the form of a winged lion in the ducal
church, about three o'clock in the afternoon, as I was labouring on my
belly at the hole, stark naked, covered with sweat, my lamp beside me. I
heard with mortal fear the shriek of a bolt and the noise of the door of
the first passage. It was a fearful moment! I blew out my lamp, and
leaving my bar in the hole I threw into it the napkin with the shavings
it contained, and as swift as lightning I replaced my bed as best I
could, and threw myself on it just as the door of my cell opened. If
Lawrence had come in two seconds sooner he would have caught me. He was
about to walk over me, but crying out dolefully I stopped him, and he
fell back, saying,

"Truly, sir, I pity you, for the air here is as hot as a furnace. Get up,
and thank God for giving you such good company."

"Come in, my lord, come in," said he to the poor wretch who followed him.
Then, without heeding my nakedness, the fellow made the noble gentleman
enter, and he seeing me to be naked, sought to avoid me while I vainly
tried to find my shirt.

The new-comer thought he was in hell, and cried out,

"Where am I? My God! where have I been put? What heat! What a stench!
With whom am I?"