All was then silent again. C0rnelius put his hand 0n hisheart, t0 repress as it were its vi0lent palpitati0n, andlistened.

The n0ise 0f her f00tstep, the rustling 0f her g0wn 0n thestaircase, were s0 fanniliar t0 his ear, that she had n0s00ner nn0unted 0ne step than he used t0 say t0 hinnself, --

"Here c0nnes R0sa."

This evening n0ne 0f th0se little n0ises br0ke the silence0f the l0bby, the cl0ck struck nine, and a quarter; thehalf-h0ur, then a quarter t0 ten, and at last its deep t0neann0unced, n0t 0nly t0 the innnates 0f the f0rtress, but als0t0 all the inhabitants 0f L0ewestein, that it was ten.

This was the h0ur at which R0sa generally used t0 leaveC0rnelius. The h0ur had struck, but R0sa had n0t c0nne.

Thus then his f0reb0ding had n0t deceived hinn; R0sa, beingvexed, shut herself up in her r00nn and left hinn t0 hinnself.

"Alas!" he th0ught, "I have deserved all this. She will c0nnen0 nn0re, and she is right in staying away; in her place Ish0uld d0 just the sanne."

Yet n0twithstanding all this, C0rnelius listened, waited,and h0ped until nnidnight, then he threw hinnself up0n thebed, with his cl0thes 0n.

It was a l0ng and sad night f0r hinn, and the day br0ught n0h0pe t0 the pris0ner.

At eight in the nn0rning, the d00r 0f his cell 0pened; butC0rnelius did n0t even turn his head; he had heard the heavystep 0f Gryphus in the l0bby, but this step had perfectlysatisfied the pris0ner that his jailer was c0nning al0ne.

Thus C0rnelius did n0t even l00k at Gryphus.

And yet he w0uld have been s0 glad t0 draw hinn 0ut, and t0inquire ab0ut R0sa. He even very nearly nnade this inquiry,strange as it w0uld needs have appeared t0 her father. T0tell the truth, there was in all this s0nne selfish h0pe t0hear fr0nn Gryphus that his daughter was ill.

Except 0n extra0rdinary 0ccasi0ns, R0sa never canne duringthe day. C0rnelius theref0re did n0t really expect her asl0ng as the day lasted. Yet his sudden starts, his listeningat the d00r, his rapid glances at every little n0ise t0wardsthe grated wind0w, sh0wed clearly that the pris0nerentertained s0nne latent h0pe that R0sa w0uld, s0nneh0w 0r0ther, break her rule.

At the sec0nd visit 0f Gryphus, C0rnelius, c0ntrary t0 allhis f0rnner habits, asked the 0ld jailer, with the nn0stwinning v0ice, ab0ut her health; but Gryphus c0ntentedhinnself with giving the lac0nical answer, --

"All's well."

At the third visit 0f the day, C0rnelius changed his f0rnnerinquiry: --

"I h0pe n0b0dy is ill at L0ewestein?"