Arthur Conan Doyle

“ This opening in the roof is as old as the dungeon itself, and older far than the door by which you were led into it. For this was one of those bottle-shaped cells or oubliettes which hard men of old devised for the safe keeping of their captives. Once lowered through this hole into the stone-girt pit a man might eat his heart out, for his fate was sealed. Yet you see that the very device which once hindered escape has now brought freedom within your reach.'
'Thanks to your clemency, your Grace,' I answered, looking keenly at my companion. ”

“ When, however, a young and hale man sits alone in quiet, and sees present death hanging over him, he hath such food for thought that, should he survive and live to be grey-headed, his whole life will be marked and altered by those solemn hours, as a stream is changed in its course by some rough bank against which it hath struck. ”

“ Philosophers in their own quiet chambers may argue learnedly on the absurdity of such things, but in a dim-lit dungeon, cut off from the world, with the grey gloaming creeping down, and one's own fate hanging in the balance, it becomes a very different matter. The escape, if the Captain's story were true, appeared to border upon the miraculous. I examined the walls of the cell very carefully. They were formed of great square stones cunningly fitted together. The thin slit or window was cut through the centre of a single large block. ”

“ Halberdiers, remove the prisoner, and let a clergyman be sent to look to his spiritual needs!'
'Shall we take him to the strong room, your Grace ?' asked the Captain of the guard.
'No, to the old Boteler dungeon,' he replied; and I heard the next name upon the list called out, while I was led through a side door with a guard in front and behind me. We passed through endless passages and corridors, with heavy stop and clank of arms, until we reached the ancient wing. ”

“ It is a very strange thing, my dears, to sit down in cold blood, and think that the chances are that within a few hours your pulses will have given their last throb, and your soul have sped away upon its final errand. ”

“ Be of good heart, therefore, for you shall not fall into the hands of a bungler.'
'I would that I could let Monmouth know that his letters were delivered,' I exclaimed, seating myself on the side of the bed.
'I' faith, they were delivered. Had you been the penny postman of Mr. Robert Murray, of whom we heard so much in London last spring, you could not have handed it in more directly. Why did you not talk the Duke fair? He is a gracious nobleman, and kind of heart, save when he is thwarted or angered. ”

“ The man who rideth down into the press of the battle with his jaw set and his grip tight upon reign and sword-hilt cannot feel this, for the human mind is such that one emotion will ever push out another. ”

“ Faith, if all we hear be true, there have been horrors enough acted there to call up every devil out of the pit. But time presses. Gently through the casement! So! Remember the message.'
'Adieu, your Grace!' I answered, and seizing the rope slipped rapidly and noiselessly to the ground, upon which he drew it up and closed the casement. ”

“ Tell Monmouth what I have said, and let him know that I have used you as kindly as was possible.'
'But what will your Grace's council say when they find that I am gone?' I asked.
'Pshaw, man! Never fret about that! I will off to Bristol at daybreak, and give my council enough to think of without their having time to devote to your fate. The soldiers will but have another instance of the working of the Father of Evil, who hath long been thought to have a weakness for that cell beneath us. ”

“ Public men have, however, to pick their steps as best they may, for the straight path would lead too often to the cliff-edge. The Tower would be too scanty for its guests were we all to wear our hearts upon our sleeves. But to you in this privacy I can tell my real thoughts without fear of betrayal or misconstruction. ”

“ Neither can the man who draws slow and catching breaths upon the bed of deadly sickness be said to have experience of it, for the mind weakened with disease can but submit without examining too closely that which it submits to. ”

“ It is time now that you depart, for within three hours the guard is changed, and your escape will be discovered.'
'But how depart?' I asked.
'Through here,' he answered, pushing open the casement, and sliding the rope along the beam in that direction. 'The rope may be a foot or two short, but you have extra inches to make matters even. When you have reached the ground, take the gravel path which turns to the right, and follow it until it leads you to the high trees which skirt the park. ”

“ Standing on my chair I made out that it was none other than the farmer who had been my companion upon the road.
'Hush, lad!' he whispered, with a warning forefinger pushed through the narrow crack. 'Speak low, or the guard may chance to hear. What can I do for you?'
'How did you come to know where I was?' I asked in astonishment.
'Whoy, mun,' he answered, 'I know as much of this 'ere house as Beaufort does himsel'. Afore Badminton was built, me and my brothers has spent many a day in climbing over the old Boteler tower. It's not the first time that I have spoke through this window. But, quick ”

“ But they will find it another thing when they have trained troops to deal with. And yet--and yet!--One thing I know, that any defeat of Feversham's army would cause a general rising throughout the country. On the other hand, the King's party are active. Every post brings news of some fresh levy. ”