Gloria, carried away by the impetuosity of her companion, arose and followed her.
Philippa led the way down stairs and down the main hall to a side door that opened into a long, dark, narrow passage leading through an ell of the building.
At the end of this she opened another door leading down a deep and narrow flight of stairs to a dark cellar.
At the foot of these stairs she stopped and said:
“Wait. I brought a piece of candle with me and a match. We must have a light before we go a step farther.”
And while Gloria stood there, Philippa snapped a match and lighted the end of the tallow candle, which, however, only showed a small ray in the midst of the deep darkness.
They stepped down now upon the flagstone floor of the cellar, which seemed quite dry. Groping along with their feeble light, they explored the walls, which were arched and divided into bins and niches—some of them with rusty iron doors—places which made the two girls shudder.
In one corner of this place they found a door which, when they opened it, revealed, in the dim light of the candle, a ladder leading down to a subterranean room below the cellar.
“Oh, look here!” whispered Philippa. “Look here! In the deepest deep a deeper deep!”
“Oh, come away! Come away! Come away directly and shut the door! There is a dreadful air arises from that place!” exclaimed Gloria, shrinking back.