Page:Libussa, Duchess of Bohemia; also, The Man Without a Name.djvu/117

Rh lating late at night her kitchen expenses,—the scullion, who was obliged to finish the plucking of thirty larks, destined to serve as a relish for the breakfast of the master of the house,—the porter, who at the same time filled the place of a watchman and told the hours,—and Hector, the watchful yard-dog, who welcomed the rising morn with his barking. As soon as midnight sounded, the daring Emily set out upon her errand; she had procured herself a skeleton key which opened every door, and descended quietly the stairs to the principal passage, from whence she saw a light burning in the kitchen. She therefore rattled her bunch of keys with all her might, slammed all the doors, and opened all the house and castle-doors without hindrance; for as soon as the four waking inmates heard the unusual noise, they imagined the arrival of the dreaded nun. The frightened scullion hid himself in one of the cupboards, the housekeeper in her bed, the dog in his kennel, and the watchman in the straw. The young lady had thus safely arrived outside the castle, and hastened to the grove, where she thought she saw already in the distance the carriage with the four horses expecting her. When, however, she had arrived close to the place, she saw nothing but the