Eveline continued to indulge in her pleasing reverie of hope, and in the cheering thoughts that came crowding upon her mind in anticipation of a speedy release from her dungeon, and restoration to her father and friends, she forgot that her situation, in the meantime, was one of peril, even if her newly found friends should be able to accomplish their object.  Duffel might return at any moment, and, in vindictive fury, bring about her ruin or death.  Such dark pictures, however, were, for the moment, driven from her mind by those of a more enlivening nature, and she ceased to search after, or even to bear in mind, the secret passage.

As she sat in peaceful quiet, thinking of home and dear ones, her eye chanced to fall upon a spot in the wall, where, the light striking it to advantage, a clear, crystaline stone, flashed back the rays from her lamp, as it sparkled with a brilliancy scarcely inferior to that of a diamond.  Curiosity led her to a more minute examination of this singularly bright object; and approaching, she placed her finger upon it.  It seemed to be imbedded firmly in the solid rock, but projected out a very little beyond the surrounding portions of the wall, just far enough to be perceived by the touch.  She pressed upon it to ascertain if it was really unmovable, and, as she did so, open flew a small door, barely large enough to admit a single person through its portals.  In a twinkling her labors of the past day and night came to remembrance, and she exclaimed: 

“The secret passage!”

In a moment all her former feelings returned; and, taking a lamp in her hand, she prepared to explore the mysterious avenue thus opened before her.  Before committing herself to the unknown, perhaps tortuous passage, she took the precaution to place an obstruction in the doorway, so that the door could not, by any possibility, swing to and shut her on the outside.  She took the forethought, also, to see that her dagger was safely secured about her person, not knowing whither she was going, or into what company she might fall.

Having thus prudently provided against accidents and emergencies, Eveline entered the passage, which was dark, damp, and dismal, with trembling nerves and a timid heart.  Slowly, cautiously, step by step, she felt her way, aided by the light of her lamp.  It seemed strange that she should have to go so far to get into the other room; yet still she moved on and on without coming to the end of the passage or to any place of egress.

The way was narrow and somewhat zigzag, and in several places she had to stoop in order to proceed.  Where did the underground passage terminate?  With what did it connect?  Was it a natural one? or had it been made by man?  Perhaps it was the connecting line between the cave she had left and some other den of wickedness known and occupied by this band of villains?  With such and a hundred similar suggestions her mind was occupied, and she began to