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He had remained here above an hour, when he suddenly heard a voice

fro to the tower,

and perceptibly drew nearer His agitation was now extre hi expectation, a blaze of light burst upon the stair-case

beneath hi moment he heard his own name sounded

frouished

the voices of madame and his sisters

They had awaited his return in all the horrors of apprehension, till

at length all fear for themselves was lost in their concern for him;

and they, who so lately had not dared to enter this part of the

edifice, now undauntedly searched it in quest of Ferdinand What were

their eht now enabled him to take a more accurate survey of the place

He perceived that some few stones of the steps which had fallen still

remained attached to the wall, but he feared to trust to their support

only He observed, however, that the wall itself was partly decayed,

and consequently rugged with the corners of half-worn stones On these

small projections he contrived, with the assistance of the steps

already ained the

unbroken part of the stairs in safety It is difficult to determine