I only asked the question of the Warden so he could
deny it, and deny it, too, with some show of feeling--this man with the
sliced ear and the gorilla hands.
"Yes, she's been here some time. Judge suspended sentence a while ago.
She's gone after her things."
There was no joy over her release in his tones, nor pity for her
condition.
He spoke exactly, it seemed to me, as he would have done had he been in
charge of the iron-barred gate of the Colosseum two thousand years ago.
All that had saved the girl then from the jaws of his hungriest lion was
the twist of Nero's thumb. All that saved her now was the nod of the
Judge's head--both had the giving of life and death.
A thin mist swam before my eyes, and a great lump started from my heart
and stuck fast in my throat, but I did not answer him; it would have
done no good--might have enraged him, in fact. I walked straight to the
gate through which she had entered and peered in. I could see between
the gun-barrels now.
It was like the other cages, with barred walls and sheet-iron floors.
Pages:
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31