“Depend upon it, she is here,” replied Philip, clenching his hands.

“I am inclined to think so,” said Krantz; “that she is alive, I feel assured.”

The conversation was continued until the moon rose, and threw her beams over the tumbling waters.  Philip and Krantz turned their faces towards the sea, and leant over the battlements in silence; after some time their reveries were disturbed by a person coming up to them with a “Buenos noctes, signor.”

Krantz immediately recognised the Portuguese soldier, whose conversation with him had been interrupted.

“Good-night, my friend!  We thank Heaven that you have no longer to turn the key upon us.”

“Yes, I’m surprised!” replied the soldier, in a low tone.  “Our Commandant is fond of exercising his power; he rules here without appeal, that I can tell you.”

“He is not within hearing of us now,” replied Krantz.  “It is a lovely spot this to live in!  How long have you been in this country?”

“Now, thirteen years, signor, and I’m tired of it.  I have a wife and children in Oporto—­that is, I had—­but whether they are alive or not, who can tell?”

“Do you not expect to return and see them?”

“Return—­signor! no Portuguese soldier like me ever returns.  We are enlisted for five years, and we lay our bones here.”

“That is hard indeed.”

“Hard, signor,” replied the soldier in a low whisper; “it is cruel and treacherous.  I have often thought of putting the muzzle of my arquebuse to my head; but while there’s life there’s hope.”

“I pity you, my good fellow,” rejoined Krantz; “look you, I have two gold pieces left—­take one; you may be able to send it home to your poor wife.”

“And here is one of mine, too, my good fellow,” added Philip, putting another in his hand.

“Now may all the saints preserve you, signors,” replied the soldier, “for it is the first act of kindness shown to me for many years—­not that my wife and children have much chance of ever receiving it.”

“You were speaking about a young European woman when we were in the dungeon,” observed Krantz, after a pause.

“Yes, signor, she was a very beautiful creature.  Our Commandant was very much in love with her.”

“Where is she now?”

“She went away to Goa, in company with a priest who knew, her, Father Mathias, a good old man; he gave me absolution when he was here.”

“Father Mathias!” exclaimed Philip; but a touch from Krantz checked him.

“You say the Commandant loved her?”

“O yes; the little man was quite mad about her; and had it not been for the arrival of Father Mathias, he would never have let her go, that I’m sure of, although she was another man’s wife.”

“Sailed for Goa, you said?”

“Yes, in a ship which called here.  She must have been very glad to have got away, for our little Commandant persecuted her all day long, and she evidently was grieving for her husband.  Do you know, signors, if her husband is alive?”