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Rh said de Proballe; but the Governor let the protest pass with a sneer.

"Your name, prisoner?" he said, sternly.

"You shall hear it, my lord, never fear; and hearing it, shall understand all that this means to you."

"I hold you for the man you have already declared yourself. As Gerard de Cobalt you came here; you yourself gave that name, and in it you won your way into Malincourt; and as Gerard de Cobalt I will treat you. I give you two hours to decide whether you will admit this to be the truth, or compel me to have it dragged from you."

"Stay, my lord Duke," cried Gerard sternly, as he was turning to the door; "let me have this in plainer terms. If I do not admit that I am Gerard de Cobalt, you propose to put me to the torture to drag such a confession from me?"

"I will have the truth one way or the other. Use the time of grace well and be thankful that I concede it;" said the Governor with a heavy threatening frown, and motioned to Pierre to open the cell door.

"As there is a God, I had not believed that any man, even you, could be capable of such infamy," exclaimed Gerard, as the two went out. The Governor whispered a word or two of instruction to Pierre who came back and resumed his work, making much noise over it.

Presently he crossed to Gerard, holding a set of heavy irons which he clanked loudly.

"In his present mood he is a fiend, monsieur. He ordered me to seek to break your nerve with the full view of these things, and then to leave you in solitude that your fears should gather."

Gerard smiled.

"Clank them as much as you will, I heed them not. My nerves are tough enough to withstand a greater strain than that."