there was no bolt on the door the furniture might be placed across
to make what in the wars is called a barricado, but the wiser
thought came at once that this was too easily done, and that if
the danger that the dim room seemed gloomily to forebode were to
come from a door so readily barricadoed, then those must have been
simple gallants who parted so easily with the rings that adorned
Morano's two little fingers. No, it was something more subtle than
any attack through that door that brought his regular wages to
Morano. Rodriguez looked at the window, which let in the light of
a moon that was getting low, for the curtains had years ago been
eaten up by the moths; but the window was barred with iron bars
that were not yet rusted away, and looked out, thus guarded, over
a sheer wall that even in the moonlight fell into blackness.
Rodriguez then looked round for some hidden door, the sword all
the while in his hand, and very soon he knew that room fairly
well, but not its secret, nor why those unknown gallants had given
up their rings.

It is much to know of an unknown danger that it really is unknown.
Many have met their deaths through looking for danger from one
particular direction, whereas had they perceived that they were
ignorant of its direction they would have been wise in their
ignorance. Rodriguez had the great discretion to understand
clearly that he did not know the direction from which danger would
come. He accepted this as his only discovery about that portentous
room which seemed to beckon to him with every shadow and to sigh
over him with every mournful draught, and to whisper to him
unintelligible warnings with every rustle of tattered silk that
hung about his bed. And as soon as he discovered that this was his
only knowledge he began at once to make his preparations: he was a