'aye, well,' replied ludovico, 'you have saved me the trouble of following you further, for i wanted to tell you, if you have a mind to drink the tuscany wine, you must go to sebastian, he is dealing it out; the other that federico has, is not worth having.but you are not likely to have any, i see, for they are all coming out.'
'by st.peter! so they are,' said the soldier, and again ran off, while ludovico, once more at liberty, hastened to the door of the passage, where emily was sinking under the anxiety this long discourse had occasioned; but, on his telling them the court was clear, they followed him to the gates, without waiting another instant, yet not before he had seized two horses, that had strayed from the second court, and were picking a scanty meal among the grass, which grew between the pavement of the first.
they passed, without interruption, the dreadful gates, and took the road that led down among the woods, emily, monsieur du pont and annette on foot, and ludovico, who was mounted on one horse, leading the other.having reached them, they stopped, while emily and annette were placed on horseback with their two protectors, when, ludovico leading the way, they set off as fast as the broken road, and the feeble light, which a rising moon threw among the foliage, would permit.
emily was so much astonished by this sudden departure, that she scarcely dared to believe herself awake; and she yet much doubted whether this adventure would terminate in escape,--a doubt, which had too much probability to justify it; for, before they quitted the woods, they heard shouts in the wind, and, on emerging from them, saw lights moving quickly near the castle above.du pont whipped his horse, and with some difficulty compelled him to go faster.