e thrown away--we are brought to a dead stand by the want
of one miserable key, and shall have nothing more to do than to make
up our minds to die with what composure we can."

Having finished his story, the narrator wrapt up his head in his
cloak, and laid himself down like one determined never to rise again.
The Count and his Julie were so engaged in recapitulating their
sorrows, sitting side by side on a tombstone, like a pair of
monumental figures, that they had neither ear nor eye for any thing
else; but my English nature was made of sterner stuff, and thinking
that at the last I could but die, I took the lantern and set sturdily
to work to examine the gate. It was soon evident that it could be
neither undermined nor broken down by any strength of ours; but it was
also evident that the lock was the old one which had closed it perhaps
for the last century, and that the right key was the only thing
wanting. Leaving Lafontaine in his despair lying at the foot of the
monument, on which the lovers sat murmuring like a pair of turtle
doves, I determined to make a thorough search for the missing key, and
made my way back through all the windings of the catacomb, tracing the
ground step by step. Still no key was to be found. At last I reached
the cell where we had changed our dresses, and examined table, floor,
and chair. Still nothing was to be found; but, unluckily, the light of
the lantern glancing through the loop-hole of the cell, caught the eye
of the sentinel on the outside, and he challenged. The sound made me
start; and I took up one of the robes to cover the light. Something
hard struck my hand. It was in the gown of the Savoyard's daughter. I
felt its pockets, and, to my infinite astonishment and delight,
produced the key. The pretty Julie, who had procured it, had forgotten
every thing in the rapture of meeting her lover, and had left it
behind her when she threw off her masquerading costume.

I now hastened back with the rapid step becoming the bearer of good
tidings, and revived the group of despair. The key was applied to the
lock, but it refused to move, and we had another pang of
disappointment. Lafontaine uttered a groan, and Julie poured another
gush of tears upon her companion's shoulder. I made the experiment
again; the rust of the lock was now found to have been our only
hinderance; and with a strong turn the bolt flew back, and the door
was open.

We had all been so much exhausted by agitation, an