He led her through the cave, and up a stone stair lighted by a hanging lamp to a landing that had a narrow barred door at one side. Through this door, masked on its other side by shelves, they entered a large cellar such as one might expect to find under an old castle founded upon rocks.
Here were long vistas of vaults supported on piers of masonry, tracts of thick wall, both long and short, sometimes taking the place of pillars and arches. There were glistening rows of wine-hogsheads diminishing in the darkness; and shelves of jars gave a familiar domestic look to the place.
Dylar pointed out how cunningly the stair from the cave below was hidden. It was set between two walls that ran together like a wedge, a wall starting off diagonally from the point where they met, and pillars and arches so confusing the outlines that the wedge-shape could not be suspected.
From the large cellar they entered a small one surrounded by shelves of bottles.
“I am sorry to welcome you to my house by such a rough way,” Dylar said. “But it is, at least, an ascending one.”
“You are giving me a charming adventure,” Tacita said brightly. “I have entered many a palace and castle by the portone, but never before by a cavern and a masked door.”
The next stair led to a plainly-furnished study, or office. Dylar hastened to open a door into a noble baronial hall.
“At last, welcome to Castle Dylar!” he exclaimed. “May peace fill every hour you pass within its walls. Command here as if all were your own!”
They entered a drawing-room of which the walls were all a rich dimness of old frescos, and the oaken furniture was upholstered with purple cloth. The tall windows let in a brilliant sunshine through the upper panes; but all the lower ones were covered by shutters. Here the housekeeper came to welcome the ladies and show them to their chambers.
The wide stairway led to a circular gallery hung with tapestries in which was woven the story of Alexander the Great. There was nothing modern. But the two connecting chambers they entered were bright with sunshine, and fresh with green and white draperies. The windows were swathed with a thin gray gauze.