ed at the tall crown rising into the warm
sunlight with a new interest, for the thought of entering it smacked
pleasantly of adventure. "How wouldst thou set about getting within?"
said he, presently.

"Why, look," said Myles; "seest thou not yon hole in the ivy branches?
Methinks there is a window at that place. An I mistake not, it is in
reach of the stable eaves. A body might come up by the fagot pile to the
roof of the hen-house, and then by the long stable to the north stable,
and so to that hole."

Gascoyne looked thoughtfully at the Brutus Tower, and then suddenly
inquired, "Wouldst go there?"

"Aye," said Myles, briefly.

"So be it. Lead thou the way in the venture, I will follow after thee,"
said Gascoyne.

As Myles had said, the climbing from roof to roof was a matter easy
enough to an active pair of lads like themselves; but when, by-and-by,
they reached the wall of the tower itself, they found the hidden window
much higher from the roof than they had judged from below--perhaps ten
or twelve feet--and it was, besides, beyond the eaves and out of their
reach.

Myles looked up and looked down. Above was the bushy thickness of the
ivy, the branches as thick as a woman's wrist, knotted and intertwined;
below was the stone pavement of a narrow inner court between two of the
stable buildings.

"Methinks I can climb to yon place," said he.

"Thou'lt break thy neck an thou tryest," said Gascoyne, hastily.

"Nay," quoth Myles, "I trust not; but break or make, we get not there
without trying. So here goeth for the venture."

"Thou art a hare-brained knave as ever drew breath of life," quoth
Gascoyne, "and will cause me to come to grief some of these fine days.
Ne'theless, an thou be Jack Fool and lead the way, go, and I will be Tom
Fool and follow anon. If thy neck is worth so little, mine is worth no
more."

It was indeed a perilous climb, but that special providence which guards
reckless lads befriended them, as it has thousands of their kind before
and since. So, by climbing from one knotted, clinging stem to another,
they were presently seated snugly in the ivied niche in the window. It
was barred from within by a crumbling shutter, the rusty fastening of
which, after some little effort upon the part of the two, gave way, and
entering the narrow opening, they found themselves in a small triangular
passage-way, from which a steep flight of stone steps led down through a
hollow in the massive wall to t