Lying there I catch a glimpse, high up, straight before my eyes, of a
greyish square in the wall, a suggestion of white, a presage--it must be
of daylight. I felt it must be daylight, felt it through every pore in my
body. Oh, did I not draw a breath of delighted relief! I flung myself flat
on the floor and cried for very joy over this blessed glimpse of light,
sobbed for very gratitude, blew a kiss to the window, and conducted myself
like a maniac. And at this moment I was perfectly conscious of what I was
doing. All my dejection had vanished; all despair and pain had ceased, and
I had at this moment, at least as far as my thought reached, not a wish
unfilled. I sat up on the floor, folded my hands, and waited patiently for
the dawn.

What a night this had been!

That they had not heard any noise! I thought with astonishment. But then I
was in the reserved section, high above all the prisoners. A homeless
Cabinet Minister, if I might say so.

Still in the best of humours, with eyes turned towards the lighter, ever
lighter square in the wall, I amused myself acting Cabinet Minister;
called myself Von Tangen, and clothed my speech in a dress of red-tape. My
fancies had not ceased, but I was far less nervous. If I only had not been
thoughtless enough to leave my pocket-book at home! Might I not have the
honour of assisting his Right Honourable the Prime Minister to bed? And in
all seriousness, and with much ceremony I went over to the stretcher and
lay down.

By this it was so light that I could distinguish in some degree the
outlines of the cell and, little by little, the heavy handle of the door.
This diverted me; the monotonous darkness so irritating in its