THE SECRET STAIRCASE The prospect certainly was not a bright one.

The door was fast locked.
Escape from the windows seemed impracticable.

This apparently exhausted the avenues of escape that were open to the dissatisfied prisoner.

But accidentally Jack made an important discovery.
There was a full-length portrait in the room.

Jack chanced to rest his hand against it, when he must unconsciously have touched some secret spring, for a secret door opened, dividing the picture in two parts, and, to our hero's unbounded astonishment, he saw before him a small spiral staircase leading down into the darkness.
"This is a queer old house!" thought Jack.