'You may be sure I shall,' returned Alondra, 'and I think the sooner he knows the better. We must find some excuse for cutting short our visit here and getting back to Ivenia as quickly as possible,' he added with decision.
'If you will take me with you to King Ivanta,' said a strange voice behind them, 'I can tell him many more things which he ought to know—which he ought to have known long ago!'
The three friends started and looked round. From somewhere in the darkness, at the back of the cell, a figure now stepped forth, and stood looking at them with as much interest as they showed themselves.
He was a young fellow of scarcely more than twenty years of age perhaps, good-looking, well set up, and muscular in build. He was dressed like an official of Agrando's household; but Alondra detected at once that he was not a native of the country.
'Who are you?' he asked, eying him curiously. 'And why have you been hiding and listening to our talk?'
'Who I am doesn't matter just now,' returned the stranger quietly. 'You need not be afraid of me; you may trust me thoroughly. I am a friend, and you need a friend just now if you want to get out of this place without being captured by Kazzaro's myrmidons!'
'I am not afraid of them! You do not know who I am!' returned Alondra proudly.
'It does not matter to me who you are, any more than it matters to you who I am,' was the cool answer. 'You would need to be some one very wonderful, or very clever, to get out of this place alive if Kazzaro knew you were here. If I help you to escape, will you promise to take me to King Ivanta? He will thank you for doing so when he hears what I have to tell him, and I have little doubt will reward you handsomely.'
At this the three looked at each other and burst out laughing. Jack was about to tell the stranger that he was talking to the son of Ivanta, when a look from Alondra stopped him.
'I suppose you expect to be rewarded too,' said the young prince shrewdly. 'Well, I promise to take you to him; but if we do, and he gives you the reward you expect, it is only fair that we should share it.'