Page 165 - A Knight of the White Cross

"There is treachery at work in the prison," D'Aubusson said quietly. "I pray
you to collect your comrades and to assemble here at once."

In a minute or two some twenty officials were gathered in the hall.

"Are all here?" D'Aubusson asked the governor.

The latter counted the men.

"There are two short," he said -- "Pietro Romano and Karl Schumann. They
occupy the same room. Go and fetch them down, four of you."

The four men nearest to the stairs at once went up with two torches. They
returned in a minute.

"The door is fastened on the inside, and we can obtain no response."

"Fetch an axe and break it in," the grand master ordered. "Sir John Boswell,
do you, with some other knights, take post without; they may attempt to

escape by the window, though, as we hold the gates, it would avail them
little. Sir Gervaise Tresham, do you follow us."

Gervaise, who had been placed with the party watching the house, followed
the grand master and governor upstairs. A few blows with an axe splintered

the door; its fastenings gave way, and they entered the room. The window
was open, and two figures lay prostrate on the ground near it.

"I half expected this," the grand master said. "They were listening there.
The conflict in the yard told them that the plot had been discovered, and as

they saw us approaching the house, they dared not meet the punishment of
their crimes, and have fallen by their own daggers. Put a torch close to their
faces. Sir Gervaise, do you recognise in either of these men the official you

saw in conversation with the Greek?"

Gervaise stepped forward and examined the men's faces.