confined in the alcazar of Segovia. Here he remained imprisoned for
eight or nine months in a high tower, with no attendant save a young
page, Arthur de Munter, who had accompanied him from the Netherlands.
Eight men-at-arms were expressly employed to watch over him and to
prevent his escape.

One day towards the middle of July, 1568, a band of pilgrims, some of
them in Flemish attire, went through the streets of Segovia. They were
chanting, as was customary on such occasions, a low, monotonous song,
in which Montigny, who happened to be listening, suddenly recognized the
language of his fatherland. His surprise was still greater when, upon
paying closer attention, he distinguished the terrible meaning of the
song. The pretended pilgrims, having no other means of communication
with the prisoner, were singing for his information the tragic fates of
his brother, Count Horn, and of his friend, Count Egmont. Mingled with
the strain were warnings of his own approaching doom; if he were not able
to effect his escape before it should be too late. Thus by this friendly
masquerade did Montigny learn the fate of his brother, which otherwise,
in that land of terrible secrecy, might have been concealed from him for
ever.

The hint as to his own preservation was not lost upon him; and he at
once set about a plan of escape. He succeeded in gaining over to his
interests one of the eight soldiers by whom he was guarded, and he was
thus enabled to communicate with many of his own adherents without the
prison walls. His major-domo had previously been permitted to furnish
his master's table with provisions dressed by his own cook. A
correspondence was now carried on by means of letters concealed within
the loaves of bread sent daily to the prisoner. In the same way files
were provided for sawing through his window-bars. A very delicate ladder