But Andrea, turning towards them, winked his eyes, rolled his tongue around his cheeks, and smacked his lips in a manner equivalent to a hundred words among the bandits when forced to be silent.It was a Masonic sign Caderousse had taught him.He was immediately recognized as one of them;the handkerchief was thrown down, and the iron-heeled shoe replaced on the foot of the wretch to whom it belonged.Some voices were heard to say that the gentleman was right; that he intended to be civil, in his way, and that they would set the example of liberty of conscience, -- and the mob retired.The keeper was so stupefied at this scene that he took Andrea by the hands and began examining his person, attributing the sudden submission of the inmates of the Lions' Den to something more substantial than mere fascination.Andrea made no resistance, although he protested against it.Suddenly a voice was heard at the wicket."Benedetto!" exclaimed an inspector.The keeper relaxed his hold."I am called," said Andrea."To the visitors' room!" said the same voice.
"You see some one pays me a visit.Ah, my dear sir, you will see whether a Cavalcanti is to be treated like a common person!" And Andrea, gliding through the court like a black shadow, rushed out through the wicket, leaving his comrades, and even the keeper, lost in wonder.Certainly a call to the visitors' room had scarcely astonished Andrea less than themselves, for the wily youth, instead of making use of his privilege of waiting to be claimed on his entry into La Force, had maintained a rigid silence."Everything," he said, "proves me to be under the protection of some powerful person, -- this sudden fortune, the facility with which Ihave overcome all obstacles, an unexpected family and an illustrious name awarded to me, gold showered down upon me, and the most splendid alliances about to be entered into.An unhappy lapse of fortune and the absence of my protector have cast me down, certainly, but not forever.The hand which has retreated for a while will be again stretched forth to save me at the very moment when I shall think myself sinking into the abyss.Why should I risk an imprudent step? It might alienate my protector.He has two means of extricating me from this dilemma, -- the one by a mysterious escape, managed through bribery; the other by buying off my judges with gold.I will say and do nothing until I am convinced that he has quite abandoned me, and then" --Andrea had formed a plan which was tolerably clever.The unfortunate youth was intrepid in the attack, and rude in the defence.He had borne with the public prison, and with privations of all sorts; still, by degrees nature, or rather custom, had prevailed, and he suffered from being naked, dirty, and hungry.It was at this moment of discomfort that the inspector's voice called him to the visiting-room.
Andrea felt his heart leap with joy.It was too soon for a visit from the examining magistrate, and too late for one from the director of the prison, or the doctor; it must, then, be the visitor he hoped for.Behind the grating of the room into which Andrea had been led, he saw, while his eyes dilated with surprise, the dark and intelligent face of M.
Bertuccio, who was also gazing with sad astonishment upon the iron bars, the bolted doors, and the shadow which moved behind the other grating.
"Ah," said Andrea, deeply affected.
"Good morning, Benedetto," said Bertuccio, with his deep, hollow voice.
"You -- you?" said the young man, looking fearfully around him.
"Do you not recognize me, unhappy child?""Silence, -- be silent!" said Andrea, who knew the delicate sense of hearing possessed by the walls; "for heaven's sake, do not speak so loud!""You wish to speak with me alone, do you not?" said Bertuccio.
"Oh, yes."
"That is well." And Bertuccio, feeling in his pocket, signed to a keeper whom he saw through the window of the wicket.
"Read?" he said.
"What is that?" asked Andrea.
"An order to conduct you to a room, and to leave you there to talk to me.""Oh," cried Andrea, leaping with joy.Then he mentally added, -- "Still my unknown protector! I am not forgotten.