f than he had been on the story above; still,
having succeeded thus far, he was determined not to be defeated, and
again he began to search about. The chamber appeared to have but little
in it; now and then he knocked against a chest or a box, and stumbled
over other articles, till suddenly he nearly fell head foremost down a
stair. "This must lead somewhere, at all events," he thought; and by a
banister which he discovered on one side he began cautiously to descend,
feeling with one foot before he lifted up the other. Down and down he
went till he got into a passage between some stone walls. "Come,
perhaps this will conduct me to the street, or to the street door, and,
if it is only closed with bolts and bars, I may withdraw them and set
myself free. I only hope that there may be no inhabitants who may take
me for a burglar, and shoot me before I have time to explain matters. I
must go cautiously, so as to make no noise." He was going on feeling
the walls on both sides, and putting one foot slowly before the other,
when he observed a faint light streaming up from an opening on one side.
The opening was a doorway; as he reached it the light became stronger,
and he saw some stone steps leading to yet a lower story.

"This seems strange," he muttered, "I understood that the houses in
Amsterdam were built on piles to keep them out of the water, and I
should have supposed that a flight of steps so low as this would lead
one into it; but there must be some one down there, or this bright light
would not be coming up. Perhaps I had better go back to try and find my
way to the street door, as I had intended, lest that somebody should
consider that I am intruding; however, having got thus far, I will try
and solve the mystery." He, therefore, again descended step by step.
He found himself in a small vaulted chamber, in the centre of which was
a table covered with retorts, jars, glasses of all shapes and sizes, and
other chemical apparatus, while at a chair was seated a tall,
grey-headed old gentleman, stirring the contents of a clay bowl with a
glass tube; his eyes were so intently fixed on the bowl that he did not
discover the presence of a stranger. A lamp burning on the table shed
the light around on the wizen countenance of the aged alchemist, on the
walls of the chamber, and on the roof, from which hung suspended several
iron chains, and stuffed birds and beasts and other creatures of curious
form, unlike anything