'this door surprises me,' said emily, 'because i understood, that the count had caused the arras to be lifted, and the walls examined, suspecting, that they might have concealed a passage through which you had departed.'
'it does not appear so extraordinary to me, madam,' replied ludovico, 'that this door should escape notice, because it was formed in a narrow compartment, which appeared to be part of the outward wall, and, if the count had not passed over it, he might have thought it was useless to search for a door where it seemed as if no passage could communicate with one; but the truth was, that the passage was formed within the wall itself.--but, to return to the men, whom i saw obscurely beyond the door, and who did not suffer me to remain long in suspense, concerning their design.they all rushed into the room, and surrounded me, though not before i had snatched up my sword to defend myself.but what could one man do against four? they soon disarmed me, and, having fastened my arms, and gagged my mouth, forced me through the private door, leaving my sword upon the table, to assist, as they said, those who should come in the morning to look for me, in fighting against the ghosts.they then led me through many narrow passages, cut, as i fancied, in the walls, for i had never seen them before, and down several flights of steps, till we came to the vaults underneath the castle; and then opening a stone door, which i should have taken for the wall itself, we went through a long passage, and down other steps cut in the solid rock, when another door delivered us into a cave.after turning and twining about, for some time, we reached the mouth of it, and i found myself on the sea-beach at the foot of the cliffs, with the chateau above.