"I'm waiting for your answer. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info," said the colonel.

"I have nothing to answer. ”

"You're refusing to answer?"

"I'm not going to tell you anything. ”

"Then I had to order you to be taken back to the punishment room, and keep you there until you change your mind. If you get in trouble again, I'll put you in handcuffs and shackles. ”

Arthur looked up, trembling up and down with rage. "Whatever you want. "The British ambassador will decide whether or not to tolerate such mistreatment of an innocent British subject," he said slowly. ”

Eventually, Arthur was led back to his cell. When he was inside, he collapsed on his bed and slept until the next morning. He was not handcuffed and shackled, and he was no longer in that horrible black cell. But with each interrogation, the hatred between him and the colonel grew. It was useless for Arthur to pray for God's favor to calm the burning anger in his heart in his cell, or to spend half the night thinking about Christ's patience and forbearance. When he was brought into the long and narrow empty room again, and at the sight of the green table, and in the face of the colonel's salallow beard, the un-Christian spirit immediately took over his heart again, causing him to make a spicy retort and a malicious answer. Within a month of his stay in prison, their mutual resentment had reached such an extent that he and the Colonel would be furious at the sight of each other.

This skirmish began to seriously affect his nervous system. He knew he was being closely watched, and he remembered the creepy rumors.

He had heard that belladonna was secretly administered to the prisoners so that their sayings could be recorded, so he grew afraid of sleeping or eating. If a mouse ran past him at night, he would break out in a cold sweat, tremble with fear, and fantasize that someone was hiding in the house, apparently trying to induce him to confess in some situation, so as to confess to Bora. He was so afraid that he would fall into a trap by the slightest negligence, and that he was in danger of doing such a thing simply out of nervousness. Pola's name rang in his ears day and night, even disrupting his prayers, so much so that he would say Paula's name instead of Mary's name when he counted the rosary. But the worst thing is his religion, and like the outside world, it seems to leave him day by day. With fanatical stubbornness, he seized on this last foothold, spending hours each day in prayer and meditation. But his mind turned to Bora more and more often, and the horror was that prayer was becoming mechanical.

His greatest consolation was getting acquainted with the warden of the prison. He was a small old man, chubby, and bald. At first he tried to keep a serious face. After a long time, every dimple on his fat face revealed kindness, and this kindness suppressed the scruples that should be paid attention to in the presence of duty. He began to pass messages and notes from one cell to another for the prisoners.

One afternoon in May, the guard walked into his cell. He frowned, his face gloomy. Arthur looked at him in surprise.

"What's the matter, Enrico!" he exclaimed. "What the hell is wrong with you today?"

"Nothing. Enrico said angrily. He walked over to the straw shop and began to tear off the blanket. This blanket was brought by Arthur.

"What are you doing with my stuff? Am I going to move to another cell?"

"No, you're released. ”

"Release? - what—today? all releases? Enrico!"

Arthur grabbed the old man's arm in excitement, but he broke free.

"Enrico, what's wrong with you? Why don't you speak? Are we all released?"

The old man just snorted, and kind of replied.

"Don't!" Arthur grabbed the guard's arm again and laughed. "It's useless for you to be angry with me, because I won't mind. I would like to know how other people are doing. ”

"What others?" Enrico said angrily as he suddenly put down the shirt he was folding. "I don't think there is a Bora, right?"

"Including Bora and all the others, of course. Enrico, what's wrong with you?"

"Well, it is unlikely that he was hastily released, poor boy, he was betrayed by a comrade. Hmph!" Enrico picked up his shirt again, with a look of disdain.

"Betrayed him, a comrade!, oh, that's terrible!" Arthur's eyes widened in horror. Enrico quickly turned away.

"What's the matter, isn't it you?"

"Me, man, you're crazy, aren't you?"

"Well, that's what they told him yesterday during the interrogation. I'm glad it wasn't you, because I've always thought you were a fairly upright young man. This way!" Enrico stood in the hallway, Arthur following him. A fog in his mind had a clue.

"They told Bora that I betrayed him? Of course they said that! Man, they told me he betrayed me. Bola certainly wouldn't be so stupid as to believe such a thing. ”

"So it's really not you?" Enrico paused up the stairs and looked at Arthur carefully. Arthur just shrugged his shoulder.

"Of course that's lying. ”

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, my kid. I'll tell him that's what you said. But you know, they told him that you denounced him out of- well, out of jealousy, because you were both in love with the same girl. ”

"It's a lie!" Arthur repeated in a hurry, panting.

A sudden fear arose in his heart, and he lost all his strength. "The same girl—jealousy!" How did they know -- how did they know?

"Wait, my child. Enrico stopped in the corridor leading to the interrogation room and said kindly, "I trust you, but only tell me one thing. I know you're a Catholic, and you said in your confession—"

"It's a lie!" this time Arthur raised his voice, almost crying.

Enrico shrugged his shoulders and continued walking. "Of course you know best, but you're not the only fool like you who has been deceived. Pisa is in the thick of the storm right now, and some of your friends have revealed a priest. They have printed leaflets saying that he is an undercover agent. ”

He opened the door to the interrogation room and saw Arthur motionless, staring blankly ahead, and he gently pushed him inside the threshold.