mean? Well, let us wait until the clock strikes twelve, and we shall see.”
It was very easy for Cornelius to wait for twelve at mid-day, as he was already waiting for nine at night.
It struck twelve, and there were heard on the stair-case, not only the steps of Gryphus, but also those of three or four soldiers who were coming up with him.
The door opened, Gryphus entered, led his men in, and shut the door after them.
“There, now search!”
They searched not only the pockets of Cornelius, but even his person; yet they found nothing.
They then searched the sheets, the mattress, and the straw-mattress of his bed; and again they found nothing.
Now, Cornelius rejoiced that he had not taken the third sucker under his own care. Gryphus would have been sure to ferret it out in the search, and would then have treated it as he did the first.
And, certainly, never did prisoner look with greater complacency at a search made in his cell than Cornelius.
Gryphus retired with the pencil and the two or three leaves of white paper which Rosa had given to Van Baerle; this was the only trophy brought back from the expedition.
At six Gryphus came again, but alone; Cornelius tried to propitiate him, but Gryphus growled, showed a large tooth like a tusk, which he had in the corner of his mouth, and went out backwards like a man who is afraid of being attacked from behind.
Cornelius burst out laughing, to which Gryphus answered through the grating,—
“Let him laugh that wins.”
