They had proceeded not more than twenty yards when they were startled by a long rolling crash behind them, that brought them to a standstill.
"Oh! what is that?" cried Halima. "Something very heavy has fallen."
An awful fear crept over St. Just; he guessed just what had happened, but durst not give utterance to his thoughts.
"I will go back and see," he said; "wait here for me."
"Not for worlds," said Halima. "I will not be left for a moment. I will go with you."
So all three retraced their steps together. St. Just's fears were soon confirmed; the entrance to the passage was completely blocked by debris of stone and mortar.
"My God!" he exclaimed, "the whole temple has come down. If we had not sheltered in this passage, we should have been buried in the ruins."
"Better that than to be buried alive," said Halima; "we are hopelessly entrapped; doomed to die of slow starvation."
"God grant us a better fate! This passage must lead somewhere; it rises, and, most likely, will take us above ground. There is no cause for despair. Come."
For his wife's sake, he affected a cheerfulness he was far from feeling, and her spirits rose proportionately.