rtly
visible at my right, rose higher toward the sky. Below me was a narrow
paved space between the house and the outer wall: it ran from the base
of the tower at my right, to the garden, far at the left. Beyond the
wall was the moat: beyond that, the country toward Montoire. If I could
let myself down to the earth by any means, I should still be on the
wrong side of the wall. But I might find the postern key, buried under
the rose bush near the postern itself.

I looked around the room, but there was nothing that would serve as a
means of descent, except the bedding on the larger chest. This I
examined: it was the scantiest, being merely a strip of blanket and a
strip of sheet, together just sufficient to cover the top of the chest.
With the pillow cover and towel, they would not reach half-way to the
ground.

Perhaps the chests might contain old clothes, or other materials that
would serve to eke out. I tried the lids, but both were strongly locked.
The larger chest looked very ancient and rotten: its hinges might be
loose. I pulled one end of it out from against the wall, to examine the
back. The hinges were immovable. Despondent, I ran my hand further down
the back at random, and, to my surprise, felt a small irregular hole,
through which I could thrust two fingers. It was evidently a rat hole,
for I saw now that when close to the wall, it must have corresponded to
a chink between the stones thereof.

My fingers inside the chest came in contact with nothing but rat-bitten
papers, to my sad disappointment. But, having gone so far, I was moved
to continue until I had patiently twisted a few documents out through
the hole. I straightened and glanced at them. The edges were fretted by
the rats. One writing was an account of moneys expended for various
wines; another was a list of remedies for the diseases of horses; but
the third, when I caught its meaning and saw the name signed at the end,
made my heart jump. It was the last page of a letter, and ran thus:

"One thing is certain, by our careful exclusion of fools and
weaklings, our plot is less liable to premature discovery than any
of those which have hitherto been attempted, and, as you say, if we
fail we have but to lock ourselves up in our chateaux till all
blows over, the K. being so busy at present with the Dutch. In that
event, my dear Count, the Chateau de Lavardin is a residence that
some of the rest of us will envy you.