"There," whispered Sperver, "if I am not very much mistaken, those are
our Fribourg friends; they have followed very close upon our heels."

"You are quite right: they are the men; I recognise the younger by his
tall, slender figure, his aquiline nose, and his long, drooping
moustache."

They disappeared through a side passage.

Gideon took a torch from the wall, and guided me through quite a maze of
corridors, aisles, narrow and wide passages, under high vaulted roofs and
under low-built arches; who could remember? There seemed no end.

"Here is the hall of the margraves," said he; "here is the
portrait-gallery, and this is the chapel, where no mass has been
said since Louis the Bold became a Protestant."

All these particulars had very little interest for me.

After reaching the end we had again to go down steps; at last we happily
came to the end of our journey before a low massive door. Sperver took a
huge key out of his pocket, and handing me the torch, said--

"Mind the light--look out!"

At the same time he pushed open the door, and the cold outside air rushed
into the narrow passage. The torch flared and sent out a volley of sparks
in all directions. I thought I saw a dark abyss before me, and recoiled
with fear.