ery
passage-way, and had entered his room, and touched him and whispered
to him. So much was clear.

And now before him lay this passageway. He was resolved to explore it
as far as possible, so as to unfold the mystery. But who was this
visitor?--a woman! Was she friend or foe? If a foe, why had she come?
What did she expect, or why had she spoken so gently and roused him
so quietly? If a friend, why had she fled so hurriedly, without a
sign or word? The more he thought it over, the more he felt convinced
that his visitor had made a mistake; that she had come expecting to
find some one else, and had been startled at the discovery of her
mistake. Perhaps Mrs. Russell had bribed one of the Carlist women to
carry a message to her husband. That seemed the most natural way of
accounting for it.

It was evident to Harry that this passage-way was known, and was
used; that he was at the mercy of his captor; and that Russell had
made a great blunder in hiding his package in such a place. But why
had his visitor failed to discover the package? Perhaps because she
came in the dark. That would account for it. She could not have seen
it; she passed by it thus, both while coming and going.

Nevertheless, whether this passage was known and used by others or
not, Harry could not help feeling that its discovery was a great
thing for him. Perhaps it might lead out of the castle. That meant
escape, liberty, life! It meant more. Once outside, he felt that he
could obtain help from some quarter. He would then come back with a
force which would be sufficient to capture the castle and free his
friends; or, if he could not gather a large force, he might find at
least a small band of men with whom he could steal in through this
secret passage, and effect the rescue of his friends in that way. And
by "his friends" he meant Katie. She, at least, could be rescued, and
the best way would be to rescue her at the outset by carrying her off
with him. Such were Harry's hopes and intentions.

In entering now upon this exploration, Harry felt the great necessity
that there was of caution; and yet, in spite of this, the torch would
have to be retained, or else any farther progress would be
impossible. To crawl along in the dark might be safer, but it would
effect nothing, and he could only hope that his torch-light would not
be observed. Dangerous or not, he must retain it; and besides, he
could not be in any greater peril than he had already been in