than　the　eyes　of　cats；　and　five　steps　from　one　of　the　lanterns　on
  the　ramparts　it　was　already　groping　dark。　　We　made　haste　to　lie
  down。　　Had　our　jailers　been　upon　the　watch；　they　must　have　observed
  our　conversation　to　die　out　unusually　soon。　　Yet　I　doubt　if　any　of
  us　slept。　　Each　lay　in　his　place；　tortured　at　once　with　the　hope　of
  liberty　and　the　fear　of　a　hateful　death。　　The　guard　call　sounded；
  the　hum　of　the　town　declined　by　little　and　little。　　On　all　sides　of
  us；　in　their　different　quarters；　we　could　hear　the　watchman　cry　the
  hours　along　the　street。　　Often　enough；　during　my　stay　in　England；
  have　I　listened　to　these　gruff　or　broken　voices；　or　perhaps　gone　to
  my　window　when　I　lay　sleepless；　and　watched　the　old　gentleman
  hobble　by　upon　the　causeway　with　his　cape　and　his　cap；　his　hanger
  and　his　rattle。　　It　was　ever　a　thought　with　me　how　differently　that
  cry　would　re…echo　in　the　chamber　of　lovers；　beside　the　bed　of
  death；　or　in　the　condemned　cell。　　I　might　be　said　to　hear　it　that
  night　myself　in　the　condemned　cell！　　At　length　a　fellow　with　a
  voice　like　a　bull's　began　to　roar　out　in　the　opposite　thoroughfare：
  'Past　yin　o'cloak；　and　a　dark；　haary　moarnin'。'
  At　which　we　were　all　silently　afoot。
  As　I　stole　about　the　battlements　towards　the　…　gallows；　I　was　about
  to　write　…　the　sergeant…major；　perhaps　doubtful　of　my　resolution；
  kept　close　by　me；　and　occasionally　proffered　the　most　indigestible
  reassurances　in　my　ear。　　At　last　I　could　bear　them　no　longer。
  'Be　so　obliging　as　to　let　me　be！'　said　I。　　'I　am　neither　a　coward
  nor　a　fool。　　What　do　YOU　know　of　whether　the　rope　be　long　enough？
  But　I　shall　know　it　in　ten　minutes！'
  The　good　old　fellow　laughed　in　his　moustache；　and　patted　me。
  It　was　all　very　well　to　show　the　disposition　of　my　temper　before　a
  friend　alone；　before　my　assembled　comrades　the　thing　had　to　go
  handsomely。　　It　was　then　my　time　to　come　on　the　stage；　and　I　hope　I
  took　it　handsomely。
  'Now；　gentlemen；'　said　I；　'if　the　rope　is　ready；　here　is　the
  criminal！'
  The　tunnel　was　cleared；　the　stake　driven；　the　rope　extended。　　As　I
  moved　forward　to　the　place；　many　of　my　comrades　caught　me　by　the
  hand　and　wrung　it；　an　attention　I　could　well　have　done　without。
  'Keep　an　eye　on　Clausel！'　I　whispered　to　Laclas；　and　with　that；　got
  down　on　my　elbows　and　knees　took　the　rope　in　both　hands；　and　worked
  myself；　feet　foremost；　through　the　tunnel。　　When　the　earth　failed
  under　my　feet；　I　thought　my　heart　would　have　stopped；　and　a　moment
  after　I　was　demeaning　myself　in　mid…air　like　a　drunken　jumping…
  jack。　　I　have　never　been　a　model　of　piety；　but　at　this　juncture
  prayers　and　a　cold　sweat　burst　from　me　simultaneously。
  The　line　was　knotted　at　intervals　of　eighteen　inches；　and　to　the
  inexpert　it　may　seem　as　if　it　should　have　been　even　easy　to
  descend。　　The　trouble　was；　this　devil　of　a　piece　of　rope　appeared
  to　be　inspired；　not　with　life　alone；　but　with　a　personal　malignity
  against　myself。　　It　turned　to　the　one　side；　paused　for　a　moment；
  and　then　spun　me　like　a　toasting…jack　to　the　other；　slipped　like　an
  eel　from　the　clasp　of　my　feet；　kept　me　all　the　time　in　the　most
  outrageous　fury　of　exertion；　and　dashed　me　at　intervals　against　the
  face　of　the　rock。　　I　had　no　eyes　to　see　with；　and　I　doubt　if　there
  was　anything　to　see　but　darkness。　　I　must　occasionally　have　caught
  a　gasp　of　breath；　but　it　was　quite　unconscious。　　And　the　whole
  forces　of　my　mind　were　so　consumed　with　losing　hold　and　getting　it
  again；　that　I　could　scarce　have　told　whether　I　was　going　up　or
  coming　down。
  Of　a　sudden　I　knocked　against　the　cliff　with　such　a　thump　as　almost
  bereft　me　of　my　sense；　and；　as　reason　twinkled　back；　I　was　amazed
  to　find　that　I　was　in　a　state　of　rest；　that　the　face　of　the
  precipice　here　inclined　outwards　at　an　angle　which　relieved　me
  almost　wholly　of　the　burthen　of　my　own　weight；　and　that　one　of　my
  feet　was　safely　planted　on　a　ledge。　　I　drew　one　of　the　sweetest
  breaths　in　my　experience；　hugged　myself　against　the　rope；　and
  closed　my　eyes　in　a　kind　of　ecstasy　of　relief。　　It　occurred　to　me
  next　to　see　how　far　I　was　advanced　on　my　unlucky　journey；　a　point
  on　which　I　had　not　a　shadow　of　a　guess。　　I　looked　up：　there　was
  nothing　above　me　but　the　blackness　of　the　night　and　the　fog。　　I
  craned　timidly　forward　and　looked　down。　　There；　upon　a　floor　of
  darkness；　I　beheld　a　certain　pattern　of　hazy　lights；　some　of　them
  aligned　as　in　thoroughfares；　others　standing　apart　as　in　solitary
  houses；　and　before　I　could　well　realise　it；　or　had　in　the　least
  estimated　my　distance；　a　wave　of　nausea　and　vertigo　warned　me　to
  lie　back　and　close　my　eyes。　　In　this　situation　I　had　really　but　the
  one　wish；　and　that　was：　something　else　to　think　of！　　Strange　to
  say；　I　got　it：　a　veil　was　torn　from　my　mind；　and　I　saw　what　a　fool
  I　was　…　what　fools　we　had　all　been　…　and　that　I　had　no　business　to
  be　thus　dangling　between　earth　and　heaven　by　my　arms。　　The　only
  thing　to　have　done　was　to　have　attached　me　to　a　rope　and　lowered
  me；　and　I　had　never　the　wit　to　see　it　till　that　moment！
  I　filled　my　lungs；　got　a　good　hold　on　my　rope；　and　once　more
  launched　myself　on　the　descent。　　As　it　chanced；　the　worst　of　the
  danger　was　at　an　end；　and　I　was　so　fortunate　as　to　be　never　again
  exposed　to　any　violent　concussion。　　Soon　after　I　must　have　passed
  within　a　little　distance　of　a　bush　of　wallflower；　for　the　scent　of
  it　came　over　me　with　that　impression　of　reality　which　characterises
  scents　in　darkness。　　This　made　me　a　second　landmark；　the　ledge
  being　my　first。　　I　began　accordingly　to　compute　intervals　of　time：
  so　much　to　the　ledge；　so　much　again　to　the　wallflower；　so　much　more
  below。　　If　I　were　not　at　the　bottom　of　the　rock；　I　calculated　I
  must　be　near　indeed　to　the　end　of　the　rope；　and　there　was　no　doubt
  that　I　was　not　far　from　the　end　of　my　own　resources。　　I　began　to　be
  light…headed　and　to　be　tempted　to　let　go；　…　now　arguing　that　I　was
  certainly　arrived　within　a　few　feet　of　the　level　and　could　safely
  risk　a　fall；　anon　persuaded　I　was　still　close　at　the　top　and　it　was
  idle　to　continue　longer　on　the　rock。　　In　the　midst　of　which　I　came
  to　a　bearing　on　plain　ground；　and　had　nearly　wept　aloud。　　My　hands
  were　as　good　as　flayed；　my　courage　entirely　exhausted；　and；　what
  with　the　long　strain　and　the　sudden　relief；　my　limbs　shook　under　me
  with　more　than　the　violence　of　ague；　and　I　was　glad　to　cling　to　the
  rope。
  But　this　was　no　time　to　give　way。　　I　had　（by　God's　single　mercy）
  got　myself　alive　out　of　that　fortress；　and　now　I　had　to　try　to　get
  the　others；　my　comrades。　　There　was　about　a　fathom　of　rope　to
  spare；　I　got　it　by　the　end；　and　searched　the　whole　ground
  thoroughly　for　anything　to　make　it　fast　to。　　In　vain：　the　ground
  was　broken　and　stony；　but　there　grew　not　there　so　much　as　a　bush　of
  furze。
  'Now　then；'　thought　I　to　myself；　'here　begins　a　new　lesson；　and　I
  believe　it　will　prove　richer　than　the　first。　　I　am　not　strong
  enough　to　keep　this　rope　extended。　　If　I　do　not　keep　it　extended
  the　next　man　will　be　dashed　against　the　precipice。　　There　is　no
  reason　why　he　should　have　my　extravagant　good　luck。　　I　see　no
  reason　why　he　should　not　fall　…　nor　any　place　for　him　to　fall　on
  but　my　head。'
  From　where　I　was　now　standing　there　was　occasionally　visible；　as
  the　fog　lightened；　a　lamp　in　one　of　the　barrack　windows；　which　gave
  me　a　measure　of　the　height　he　had　to　fall　and　the　horrid　force　that
  he　must　strike　me　with。　　What　was　yet　worse；　we　had　agreed　to　do
  without　signals：　every　so　many　minutes　by　Laclas'　watch　another　man
  was　to　be　started　from　the　battlements。　　Now；　I　had　seemed　to
  myself　to　be　about　half　an　hour　in　my　descent；　and　it　seemed　near
  as　long　again　that　I　waited；　straining　on　the　rope　for　my　next
  comrade　to　begin。　　I　began　to　be　afraid　that　our　conspiracy　was
  out；　that　my　friends　were　all　secured；　and　that　I　should　pass　the
  remainder　of　the　night；　and　be　discovered　in　the　morning；　vainly
  clinging　to　the　rope's　end　like　a　hooked　fish　upon　an　angle。　　I
  could　not　refrain；　at　this　ridiculous　image；　from　a　chuckle　of
  laughter。　　And　the　next　moment　I　knew；　by　the　jerking　of　the　rope；
  that　my　friend　had　crawled　out　of　the　tunnel　and　was　fairly
  launched　on　his　descent。　　It　appears　it　was　the　sailor　who　had
  insisted　on　succeeding　me：　as　soon　as　my　continued　silence　had
  assured　him　the　rope　was　long　enough；　Gautier；　for　that　was　his
  name；　had　forgot　his　former　arguments；　and　shown　himself　so
  extremely　forward；　that　Laclas　had　given　way。　　It　was　like　the
  fellow；　who　had　no　harm　in　him　beyond　an　instinctive　selfishness。
  But　he　was　like　to　have　paid　pretty　dearly　for　the　privilege。　　Do
  as　I　would；　I　could　not　keep　the　rope　as　I　could　have　wished　it；
  and　he　ended　at　last　by　falling　on　me　from　a　height　of　several
  yards；　so　that　we　both　rolled　together　on　the　ground。