“If your presence is not indispensable here, I can lead you to my painting-room, where there is a loop directly opposite to the gate.  That half of the garrets has no one in it.”

The major accepted the proposal with joy, and forthwith he proceeded to issue a few necessary orders to his subordinates, before he followed Maud.  When all was ready, the latter led the way, carrying a small silver lamp that she had brought with her on entering the library.  The reader already understands that the Hut was built around a court, the portion of the building in the rear, or on the cliff, alone having windows that opened outward.  This was as true of the roofs as of the perpendicular parts of the structure, the only exceptions being in the loops that had been cut in the half-story, beneath the eaves.  Of course, the garrets were very extensive.  They were occupied in part, however, by small rooms, with dormer-windows, the latter of which opened on the court, with the exception of those above the cliff.  It was on the roofs of these windows that captain Willoughby had laid his platform, or walk, with a view to extinguish fires, or to defend the place.  There were many rooms also that were lighted only by the loops, and which, of course, were on the outer side of the buildings.  In addition to these arrangements, the garret portions of the Hut were divided into two great parts, like the lower floor, without any doors of communication.  Thus, below, the apartments commenced at the gateway, and extended along one-half the front; the whole of the east wing, and the whole of the rear, occupying five-eighths of the entire structure.  This part contained all the rooms occupied by the family and the offices.  The corresponding three-eighths, or the remaining half of the front, and the whole of the west wing, were given to visiters, and were now in possession of the people of the valley; as were all the rooms and garrets above them.  On the other hand, captain Willoughby, with a view to keep his family to itself, had excluded every one, but the usual inmates, from his own portion of the house, garret-rooms included.

Some of the garret-rooms, particularly those over the library, drawing-room, and parlour, were convenient and well-furnished little apartments, enjoying dormer-windows that opened on the meadows and forest, and possessing a very tolerable elevation, for rooms of that particular construction.  Here Mr. Woods lodged and had his study.  The access was by a convenient flight of steps, placed in the vestibule that communicated with the court.  A private and narrower flight also ascended from the offices.