houses had been lately only partly tenanted, while the lower
portion of it had been under repair. Mademoiselle is very complacent and
kind. She took the trouble to go for me to the house and examine it, and
reported that there was an open yard under the eastern prison-wall, and
if anybody could get through that wall he might easily continue his route
through the house and into the street. My mind was soon made up. I
imparted my intention to my companions. There were fifteen of us,
altogether, penned up at night in a vile cell or vault, and, of course,
the intended escape could not be kept a secret; what was known by one,
must be known by all. We all resolved to escape. Our cell was dirty and
miserable. We obtained light and air from the street as well as from a
grating over the door. Choosing a somewhat stormy night, we commenced by
loosening the stonework in the east wall. Now we knew that after we were
locked up for the night we should not be disturbed, and if we could not
effect the removal of the stones in one night, there would be no fear of
discovery during the next day, as we were seldom molested by any of the
gaolers. We could walk about the prison just as we liked and mix with
the other prisoners, whether felons or debtors. In fact your Liverpool
Tower contains a large family party. We worked all night at the wall,
and just before daybreak contrived to remove a large stone and soon
succeeded in displacing another, but light having at length broken, we
gathered up all the mortar and rubbish we had made, stuffing some of it
into our beds, and covering the rest with them in the best way we could.
To aid us in preventing the gaoler discovering what we had been about,
one of our party remained in bed when the doors were unlocked, and we
curtained the window grating with a blanket, stating that our
_compatriote_ was very ill and that he could not bear the light. We had
no dread of a doctor coming to visit him, for unless special application
was made for medical attendance on the sick nobody seemed to care whether
we lived or died. The day passed over without any suspicions arising
from our preparations. The afternoon set in stormy, as the preceding
evening had done, and in the course of the night of our escape we had a
complete hurricane of rain and wind, which eventually greatly favoured us
by clearing the streets of any stragglers who might be prowling about.
No sooner were we locked in at night than w