aid the
astonished Gregory. He had dropped his billet in the scuffle, which the
dwarf seized, opening it without ceremony.

"A message. Good; stay here, garbage; I be back one, two, t'ree," and
away straddled the black monster along the passage. Turning suddenly,
before he was aware, into another avenue, leading apparently far into
the interior, Gregory was left once more in total darkness. He heard the
sound of retreating footsteps, but not a glimmer was visible, and he
feared to follow lest he might be entangled in some inextricable
labyrinth. He recollected to have heard a vague sort of tradition, that
a subterraneous passage once led from the hall to the Ribble bank,
whereby the miners had in former days kept their operations secret.

These were the haunts, too, of poachers and deer-stalkers, who made use
of such hiding-places to screen their nocturnal depredations. He might
be gotten unknowingly into one of their retreats, and he knew the
character of such men too well to venture farther into their privy
places without leave. But it was strange this ugly and insane thing
should be kept here. Its outlandish accent, too, as far as Gregory could
distinguish, was still more unaccountable; and that his young mistress
should hold any intercourse with such a misshapen mockery of the human
form was a mystery only to be resolved by a woman! After all, his first
conjecture might be true, and this delicate sprite the ministering demon
to some magician who brooded over the treasure.

He grew more timorous in the dark. His own breathing startled him. He
revolved a thousand plans of escape; but how was it possible to climb to
the pit-mouth without help, and in total darkness? The door, too, would
probably defy his attempts to remove it. Suspense was not to be endured.
He would have been glad to see the ugly dwarf again, rather than remain
in his present evil case.

He now tried to grope out his way, from that sort of undefinable feeling
which leads a person to identify change of place with improvement in
condition.

Ere he had gone many yards from the spot, however, he saw a light, and
presently the flaming torch was visible, with the ugly form he desired.

"Sir messenger, allez. Make scrape and go backward. Bah! What for make
lady chuse ugly lout as thee for page?--not know, not inquire. Up, this
way; now mind the steps. Bah, not that, fool!"

With some difficulty Gregory was initiated into the mysteries of the
ascent.