assage.

As she sat in peaceful quiet, thinking of home and dear ones, her eye
chanced to fall upon a spot in the wall, where, the light striking it to
advantage, a clear, crystaline stone, flashed back the rays from her lamp,
as it sparkled with a brilliancy scarcely inferior to that of a diamond.
Curiosity led her to a more minute examination of this singularly bright
object; and approaching, she placed her finger upon it. It seemed to be
imbedded firmly in the solid rock, but projected out a very little beyond
the surrounding portions of the wall, just far enough to be perceived by
the touch. She pressed upon it to ascertain if it was really unmovable,
and, as she did so, open flew a small door, barely large enough to admit a
single person through its portals. In a twinkling her labors of the past
day and night came to remembrance, and she exclaimed:

"_The secret passage!_"

In a moment all her former feelings returned; and, taking a lamp in her
hand, she prepared to explore the mysterious avenue thus opened before her.
Before committing herself to the unknown, perhaps tortuous passage, she
took the precaution to place an obstruction in the doorway, so that the
door could not, by any possibility, swing to and shut her on the outside.
She took the forethought, also, to see that her dagger was safely secured
about her person, not knowing whither she was going, or into what company
she might fall.

Having thus prudently provided against accidents and emergencies, Eveline
entered the passage, which was dark, damp, and dismal, with trembling
nerves and a timid heart. Slowly, cautiously, step by step, she felt her
way, aided by the light of her lamp. It seemed strange that she should have
to go so far to get into the other room; yet still she moved on and on
without coming to the end of the passage or to any place of egress.

The way was narrow and somewhat zigzag, and in several places she had to
stoop in order to proceed. Where did the underground passage terminate?
With what did it connect? Was it a natural one? or had it been made by man?
Perhaps it was the connecting line between the cave she had left and some
other den of wickedness known and occupied by this band of villains? With
such and a hundred similar suggestions her mind was occupied, and she began
to feel unpleasant. Perhaps she was venturing into the presence of those
who would have even less regard for her than Duffel. An undefined terror
for a moment