e recommenced our work at the
wall, and were not long in making a hole sufficient to allow a man to
creep through, which one of us did. He reported himself to be in an open
yard, that it was raining very heavily, and that the night was
_affreuse_; we all then crept through. We found ourselves in a dark
yard, with a house before us. We obtained a light in a shed on one side
of the yard, and then looked about. We found a sort of cellar door by
the side of a window. We tried to open it: to our surprise it yielded.
Screening our light we proceeded into a passage, taking off our shoes and
stockings first (some of us had none to take off, poor fellows!) so that
we should make no noise. The house was quite still; we scarcely dared to
breathe. We went forward and entered a kitchen in which were the remains
of a supper. We took possession of all that was eatable on the table.
It was wonderful that nobody heard us, for one of us let fall a knife
after cutting up a piece of beef into pieces, so that each man might have
a share. Although there were people in the house no one heard us; truly
you Englishmen sleep well! Before us was a door--we opened it. It was
only a closet. We next thought of the window, for we dared not climb up
stairs to the principal entrance. We tried the shutters which we easily
took down and, fortunately without noise, opened the window, through
which one of us crept to reconnoitre. He was only absent about a minute
or two, returning to tell us that not a soul was to be seen anywhere;
that the wind was rushing up the main street from the sea, and that the
rain was coming down in absolute torrents. Just as the neighbouring
church clock struck two we were assembled under an archway together. We
determined to disperse, and let every man take care of himself. Bidding
my friends good bye I struck out into the street. At first I thought of
going to the river, but suddenly decided to go inland. I therefore went
straight on, passed the Exchange, and down a narrow street facing it
(Dale-street) in which I knew mademoiselle dwelt. I thought of her, but
had no hope of seeing her as I did not know the house wherein she
resided. I pushed on, therefore, until I came to the foot of a hill; I
thought I would turn to the left, but shutting my eyes with superstitious
feelings I left myself to fate, and determined to go forward with my eyes
closed until I had by chance selected one of the four cross roads [Old