Master Mathias obeyed. He brought the mortar, the trowel, and the smoothing board.
"Now pick up your tools and follow me."
Grazian led Master Mathias through the opening of the altar frame, (the picture had been cast aside) into the secret passage-way; then to the heavy iron door, which when opened from outside set the church bells ringing. This door opened into the long passage-way, and at its very beginning were two side passages. In front of one of these side passages had been unloaded a pile of bricks. Lord Grazian threw a light into the dark space.
"See!"
"What a frightful place," said Master Mathias, with his teeth chattering. "What kind of women are those?"
"Bones of women, as you see."
"How did they get here?"
"They know best how they got here, but how to get away from here was what they did not know. And yet they tried in every way, as you see. Here they tried to break through the wall; with knives they pulled out two and three rows of bricks, and then grew weary of the work and gave it up. The wall is six feet through here."
"Yes, fully."
"Now then, do you know what these bricks here are for? You are to wall up the opening of this other space."