"Hasten, Princess, hasten!"
The odalisk pressed her companion's hand, and dragged her down along the bushy hillside. And now they had reached the hollow forming the entrance to the underground passage which terminated at the gates of the garden on the banks of the Danube.
The odalisk had succeeded in filching the keys of the door of this secret passage from Hassan. While she was trying which of the two it was that belonged to the lock of the inner door, a cry resounded through the stillness of the night. "Hassan!" exclaimed the two girls together. They had recognised the voice.
"They have discovered our escape," said Azrael.
"Oh, God! do not leave me!" cried Mariska, pressing her hands together. "My child!"
Azrael quickly opened the grating door. It took a few moments, and during that time a commotion was audible in the town, no doubt caused by the cry of Hassan. Cries of alarm and consternation spread from bastion to bastion, the whole garrison was aroused, and there was a confused murmur within the fortress.
"Let us hasten!" cried Azrael, quickly opening the door and dragging after her the Princess into the blind-black corridor.
At that moment a cannon-shot thundered from the fortress as an alarm-signal.
Mariska, at the sound of the shot, collapsed in terror at Azrael's feet, and lay motionless in the corridor, still holding her child fast clasped in her arms.
"Hah! the woman has fainted," cried the odalisk in alarm; "we shall both perish here," she cried in her despair.