ard by people
above ground!"

In obedience to her directions, Jew Mike again took the young girl in
his arms, and followed Madame out of the room, while she bore a light.
She led the way into a bed-chamber on the second floor, which apartment
was furnished with that luxury so invariably found in the bowers of
land-ladies of pleasure, who care but little for the comfort of their
_boarders_, so long as they themselves are "in clover."'

The walls of Madame's chamber were beautifully adorned with fancy paper,
representing panels in gilded frames, decorated with wreaths of flowers.
The lady advanced towards one of these panels, and kneeling down upon
the floor, touched a secret spring; instantly a door, which had
previously been invisible, sprang open, revealing an aperture large
enough to admit a person standing upright.

The reader must not be surprised that the landlady should thus expose to
Jew Mike the means of entering her private rendezvous; for Mike was
perfectly in her confidence, having often before been employed to convey
victims to that den, and being already well acquainted with the mystery
of the secret panel.

They entered the aperture--the landlady bearing the light, and the
ruffian carrying the unconscious form of Fanny Aubrey. Having carefully
closed the panel behind them, they began to descend a long flight of
steps, so steep and narrow, that extreme care was necessary to enable
them to preserve their footing.

Down, down they went, seemingly far into the bowels of the earth. At
length they arrived at the bottom, and a stout oaken door intercepted
their further progress. The landlady produced a key, and the door swung
back upon its massive hinges; they entered a vast apartment, fitted up
in a style of splendor almost equal to the fabled magnificence of a
fairy palace.

The hall was of circular shape, surmounted by a dome, from which hung a
superb chandelier, which shed a brilliant light over the gilded
ornaments and voluptuous paintings that adorned the walls. In the centre
stood a table, laden with fruits and wines, around which were seated
half a dozen young females, all very beautiful, and several of them
nearly half naked. Two of these girls, who were more modestly dressed
than the others, seemed sad and dispirited; their four companions,
however, appeared vicious and reckless in the extreme.

"Girls," said the landlady, addressing them--"I have brought you a new
sister; she has come to learn