circumstances he would have been apt to smile at such a
spectacle as a pleasant expression of female curiosity: but at present,
when he was taking his leave of social happiness--for how long a time
his ignorance of the English laws would not allow him to guess, the
sight was felt rather as a pathetic memento of the household charities
under their tenderest aspect--and as suggesting the gentleness of
female hands in painful contrast to the stern deportment of the agents
of police and martial power by whom he was now surrounded. "Let all
cynical women-haters," thought he, "be reduced for a month or two to my
situation--and they will learn the blessed influences on human
happiness of what they idly affect to despise." His own indiscretion
however, as he could not disguise from himself, had reduced him to this
situation: and however disturbed at the prospect before him he
submitted with an air of cheerfulness and followed his guides with as
firm a step as his bodily weakness would allow. Passing from the great
court, at one corner, through a long and winding gateway feebly
illuminated by two lanthorns, they found themselves at the edge of a
deep abyss. It was apparently a chasm in the rock that had been turned
to account by the original founder of the castle, as a natural
and impassable moat; far beyond it rose a lofty wall pierced with
loop-holes and belted with towers--that necessarily overlooked and
commanded the whole outer works through which they had passed. At a signal
from the old man a draw-bridge was dropped with a jarring sound over the
chasm. Crossing this they entered a small court--surrounded by a large
but shapeless pile of buildings, which gave little sign externally of
much intercourse with the living world: here and there however from its
small and lofty windows, sunk in the massy stonework, a dull light was
seen to twinkle; and, as far as the lanthorn would allow him to see,
Bertram observed every where the marks of hoary antiquity. At this
point the officer quitted them, having first given his orders to the
two dragoons in an under voice.

The termination of their course was not yet reached. At the further end
of the court, the old warden opened a little gate; through this, and by
a narrow arched passage which the dragoons could only pass by stooping,
they reached at length a kind of guard-room which through two holes
pierced in the wall received some light--at this time but feebly
dispensed by the moon