by time; then swiftly opened the door of the largest cupboard and thrust his sword in to see who might be inside, but the carved satyr’s heads at the top of the cupboard eyed him silently and nothing moved.  Then he noted that though 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 right young man for the wars.  He divested himself of his shoes and doublet and the light cloak that hung from his shoulder and cast the clothes on a chair.  Over the back of the chair he slung his girdle and the scabbard hanging therefrom and placed his plumed hat so that none could see that his Castilian blade was not in its resting-place.  And when the sombre chamber had the appearance of one having undressed in it before retiring Rodriguez turned his attention to the bed, which he noticed to be of great depth and softness.  That something not unlike blood had been spilt on the floor excited no wonder in Rodriguez; that vast chamber was evidently, as I have said, in the fortress of some great family, against one of whose walls the humble inn had once leaned for protection; the great family were gone:  how they were gone Rodriguez did not know, but it excited no wonder in him to see blood on the boards:  besides, two gallants may have disagreed; or one who