“Let him bless God an’ he fare no worse. An’ I had the handling o’ the villain he should roast, or I am no true man!”

The jailer laughed a pleasant hyena laugh, and said —

“Give him a piece of thy mind, old man — they all do it.

Thou’lt find it good diversion.”

Then he sauntered toward his ante-room and disappeared. The old man dropped upon his knees and whispered —

“God be thanked, thou’rt come again, my master! I believed thou wert dead these seven years, and lo, here thou art alive! I knew thee the moment I saw thee; and main hard work it was to keep a stony countenance and seem to see none here but tuppenny knaves and rubbish o’