an outlook between high houses as out of an into the lying dark and several hundred feet below looked down and could discern a few tree tops waving and a single speck of brightness where the river ran across a the weather was clearing up and the sky had lightened so as to show the outline of the heavier clouds and the dark margin of the hills by the uncertain glimmer the house on his left hand should be a place of some pretensions it was surmounted by several and tops the round stern of a chapel with a fringe of flying projected boldly from the main block and the door was sheltered under a deep porch carved with figures and by two long the windows of the chapel gleamed through their intricate with a light as of many and threw out the and the roof in a more intense blackness against the sky it was plainly the hotel of some great family of the neighborhood and as it reminded of a town house t f his own at he stood for some time gazing up at it and mentally the skill of the and the consideration of the two families there seemed to be no issue to the terrace but the lane by which he had reached it he could only his steps but he had gained some notion of his whereabouts and hoped by this means to hit the main and speedily regain the inn he was reckoning without that chapter of accidents which was to make this night memorable above all others in his career for he had not gone back above a hundred yards before he saw a light coming to meet him and heard loud voices speaking together in the echoing of the lane it was a party of men at arms going the night round with assured himself that they had all been making free with the wine bowl and were in no mood to be particular about safe or the of war it was as like as not that would kill him like a dog and a e w nights leave him where he fell the situation was but nervous their own would conceal him from sight he reflected and he hoped that they would drown the noise of his footsteps with their own empty voices if he were but fleet and silent he might their notice altogether unfortunately as he turned to beat a retreat his foot rolled upon a he fell against the wall with an and his sword rang loudly on the stones two or three voices demanded who went there � some in french some in english but made no reply and ran the faster down the lane once upon the terrace he paused to look back they still kept calling after him and just then began to double the pace in pursuit with a considerable of and great tossing of the to and fro in the narrow jaws of the passage cast a look around and darted into the porch there he might escape observation or � if that were too much to expect � was in a capital posture whether for or defence so thinking he drew his sword and tried to set his back against the door to his surprise it yielded behind his weight and though he turned in a moment continued to swing back on and noiseless hinges until it stood wide open on a black interior when things fall out for the person concerned he is not apt to be critical about the how or why his own immediate personal convenience seeming a sufficient reason for the strangest and in our things and so without a moment s hesitation stepped within and partly closed the door behind him to conceal his place of refuge nothing was further from his thoughts than to close it altogether but for some inexplicable reason � perhaps by a spring or a weight � the ponderous mass of oak whipped itself out of his and to with a formidable and a noise like the falling of an bar the round at that very moment upon � v the de s door the terrace and proceeded to summon him with shouts and curses he heard them in the dark comers the stock of a lance even rattled along the outer surface of the door behind which he stood but these gentlemen were in too high a humor to be long delayed and soon made off down a pathway which had escaped s observation and passed out of sight and hearing along the of the town breathed again he gave them a few minutes grace for fear of accidents and then about for some means of opening the door and slipping forth again the inner surface was quite smooth not a handle not a not a of any sort he got his finger nails round the edges and pulled but the mass was immovable he shook it it was as firm as a rock de frowned and gave vent to a little noiseless whistle what the door he wondered why was it open how came it to shut so easily and so effectually after him there was something obscure and about all this that was little to the young man s fancy it looked like a and yet who could suppose a in such a quiet by street and in a house of so prosperous and even noble an exterior and yet � or no or here he was prettily and for the life of him he could see no way out of it again the darkness began to weigh upon him he gave ear all was silent without but within and close by he seemed to catch a faint sighing a faint sobbing rustle a little stealthy � as though many persons were at his side holding themselves quite still and governing even their with the extreme of the 