But might not the words mean more than appeared?
Could it be that Carera desired to give me a friendly hint to prepare for the worst ?...

Or was it possible that the ghostly man would bring me a further message and help me in some way to escape?
At any rate, it was a more encouraging theory than the other, and I resolved to act on it.

If the priest did me no good, he could, at least, do me no harm.
After tearing up the bit of paper and chewing the fragments, I returned to my hammock and lay awake--sleep being now out of the question--until the turnkey brought me a cup of chocolate, of which, with the remains of the loaf, I made my first breakfast.

About the middle of the day he brought me something more substantial.

On both occasions I pressed him with questions as to when I was to be examined, and what they were going to do with me, to all of which he answered "_No se_" ("I don't know"), and, probably enough, he told the truth.