Berenger eagerly seized the idea.  Philip’s mood of contradiction prompted him to pronounce it useless folly, and he vouchsafed no interest in the arrangements for securing light, by selecting all the bits of firewood fittest for torches, and saving all the oil possible from the two lamps they were allowed.  The chief difficulty was that Guibert was not trusted, so that all had to be done out of his sight; and on the first day Berenger was obliged to make the exploration alone, since Humfrey was forced to engross Guibert in some occupation out of sight, and Philip had refused to have anything to do with it, or be like a rat routing in the corners of his trap.

However, Berenger had only just ascertained that the ironwork was so entirely rusted away as to offer no impediment, when Philip came languidly roaming into the cellar, saying, ’Here!  I’ll hold the torch!  You’ll be losing yourself in this wolf’s mouth of a place if you go alone.’

The investigation justified Philip’s predictions of its uselessness.  Nothing was detected but rats, and vaults, and cobwebs; it was cold, earthy, and damp; and when they thought they must have penetrated far beyond the precincts of the keep, they heard Humfrey’s voice close to them, warning them that it was nearly dinner-time.

The next day brought them a more promising discovery, namely of a long straight passage, with a gleam of light at the end of it; and this for the first time excited Philip’s interest or curiosity.  He would have hastened along it at once, but for the warning summons from Humfrey; and in the excitement of even this grain of interest, he ate more heartily at supper than he had done for weeks, and was afterwards more eager to prove to Berenger that night was the best time to pursue their researches.

And Berenger, when convinced that Guibert was sound asleep, thought so too, and accompanied by Humfrey, they descended into the passage.  The light, of course, was no longer visible, but the form of the crypt, through which they now passed, was less antique than that under the keep, and it was plain they were beneath a later portion of the Castle.  The gallery concluded in a wall, with a small barred, unglazed window, perfectly dark, so that Berenger, who alone could reach to the bottom of it, could not uses where it looked out.

‘We must return by daylight; then, maybe, we may judge,’ sighed Philip.

‘Hark!’ exclaimed Berenger.

‘Rats,’ said Philip.

‘No—­listen—­a voice!  Take care!’ he added, in a lower tone, ’we may be close on some of the servants.’

But, much nearer than he expected, a voice on his right hand demanded, ‘Does any good Christian hear me?’

‘Who is there?’ exclaimed Philip.

’Ah! good sir, do I hear the voice of a companion in misery?  Or, if you be free, would you but send tidings to my poor father?’

‘It is a Norman accent!’ cried Berenger.  ’Ah! ah! can it be poor Landry Osbert?’