The portress laughed.
"A likely story," she said, "that I am to trail across the yard and leave my business here, to fetch the Lady Superior from her devotions to see a young man at the outer gate."
"If you do not admit me," Rollo went on, unabashed, "not only the Lady Superior will suffer, but the cause which all good Christians have at heart."
He suddenly thrust his bare hand close to the wicket and showed the ring which Etienne had given him.
"Do you know this?" he said.
At his first threatening motion the woman had mechanically withdrawn, but now curiosity brought her again closer to the grating, on perceiving that Rollo made no attempt to intrude his hand within.
"These are the royal arms of Spain, are they not?" she said, and dropped an involuntary curtsy.
Then Rollo played his trump card. The ring was made with a certain secret spring beneath the stone, which when touched sprang up like the lid of a box, and a beautiful little miniature was revealed, encircled with hair of a dark brown colour.
"Do you know who that is?" he said.
"His absolute Majesty Carlos Quinto!" said the portress with a deep reverence.