Page 183 of 1294

Luckily for him, everything went well again at the gates. At that

very moment, as though expressly for his benefit, a huge waggon

of hay had just driven in at the gate, completely screening him

as he passed under the gateway, and the waggon had scarcely had

time to drive through into the yard, before he had slipped in a

flash to the right. On the other side of the waggon he could hear

shouting and quarrelling; but no one noticed him and no one met

him. Many windows looking into that huge quadrangular yard were

open at that moment, but he did not raise his head--he had not

the strength to. The staircase leading to the old woman's room

was close by, just on the right of the gateway. He was already on

the stairs....