‘You seem to be well acquainted with the road,’ said the knight.
‘I have reason,’ answered Mercurius, ‘having, for a long period, had the acquaintance of his reverence, your brother; but you have little chance with him.’
‘And why?’ said Sir Rollo.
‘He is under a bond to my master never to say a prayer, or else his soul and his body are forfeited at once.’
‘Why, thou false and traitorous devil!’ said the enraged knight; ‘and thou knewest this when we made our wager?’
‘Undoubtedly: do you suppose I would have done so had there been any chance of losing?’
And with this they arrived at Father Ignatius’s door.
‘Thy cursed presence threw a spell on my niece, and stopped the tongue of my nephew’s chaplain; I do believe that had I seen either of them alone, my wager had been won.’
‘Certainly; therefore I took good care to go with thee; however, thou mayest see the prior alone, if thou wilt; and lo! his door is open. I will stand without for five minutes, when it will be time to commence our journey.’
It was the poor baron’s last chance; and he entered his brother’s room more for the five minutes’ respite than from any hope of success.