"It goes into no lady's house, so far as I understand," said Christopher. "The stair leads to a garret—I should fancy over our heads here—much higher up, though."
"Would you show me how you came in?" said Hester.
"With pleasure," he answered, and taking one of the candles, led the way.
"I would not let the young woman leave her husband to show me out," he went on. "When I found myself a prisoner, I thought I would try this door before periling the sleep of a patient in the small-pox. You seem to have it all round you here!"
Through the door so long mysterious Hester stepped on a narrow, steep stair. Christopher turned downward, and trod softly. At the bottom he passed through a door admitting them to a small cellar, a mere recess. Thence they issued into that so lately occupied by the Frankses. Christopher went to the door Hester had locked, and said,
"This is where I came in. I suppose one of your people must have locked it."
"I locked it myself," replied Hester, and told him in brief the story of the evening.
"I see!" said Christopher; "we must have passed through just after you had taken them away."
"And now the question remains," said Hester, "—who can it be in our house without our knowledge? The stair is plainly in our house."
"Beyond a doubt," said Christopher. "But how strange it is you should know your own house so imperfectly! I fancy the young couple, having got into some difficulty, found entrance the same way the Frankses did; only they went farther and fared better!—to the top of the house, I mean. They've managed to make themselves pretty comfortable too! There is something peculiar about them—I can hardly say what in a word."