ces approaching likewise
caused Felix to retire. Now that he knew whereabouts Erastus was
confined, the rest did not trouble him much. All the plans of the
castle were in his hands, and he had but to fashion for himself an easy
path through garret and loft to the high gables which immediately
adjoined the window pointed out by Pigavetta. Since his wild excitement
had been allayed, the Italian was again the cool determined architect
who calculated every impediment. It was of immediate importance to
obtain possession of the keys to the secret passage, which led from the
western wall down into the town. Well acquainted with the porter's
habits, he took the keys away, whilst the good man was devouring his
supper, from the board on which they hung, and placed the man's heavy
cloth cap on the vacant space. Part of that night and of the following
morning he employed in rendering his rope ladder more manageable, and
stronger, so that Lydia should not in the end become the victim of his
attempted rescue. When the midday hour had summoned the inhabitants of
the castle from their work, he furnished himself with a strong wire and
a few instruments. Then he quietly ascended the steps of the
Ruprechtsbau, till he came to a garret-door. He shaped the wire into a
hook, and thus opened the door. Nobody was to be found up here under
the garret roof which glowed through the heat of the noon sun. A dim
bluish light prevailed in the spacious room and the atoms danced in the
beams, which forced their way straight through the cracks, like a host
of stars. The artist crossed the dark garret till he came to a
staircase, which led through an opening in the roof to a larger loft.
He knew that he was now above that part of the Burg whose gable
adjoined the Tower, and led through the narrow staircase to the secret
passage. A plain door showed where this staircase began. It was tightly
shut, but the architect took a chisel out of his pocket and quietly
loosened all the screws. In the course of half an hour the work was
completed, and after taking the door off its hinges, he ascended a
small wooden staircase which led him to a room with thick walls and
small barred windows. The iron rings in the walls showed him that he
was now in one of the secret prisons. A niche with an iron chain which
passed over a wheel told him of private executions in this still room,
from whence no sound could penetrate into the Courtyard beneath. "Thou
mightest also be place