It was not without a good deal of noise that they at last did so; and several times they paused, fearing that the alarm must have been given in the castle.

As, however, the door remained closed, they supposed that the occupants were fully engaged in defending themselves from the attacks of the earl's party.
When the door gave way, they found hanging across in front of them a very thick arras, and pressing this aside they entered a small room in the thickness of the wall of the keep.

It contained the merest slit for light, and was clearly unused.

Another door, this time unfastened, led into a larger apartment, which was also at present unoccupied.

They could hear now the shouts of the combatants without, the loud orders given by the leaders on the walls, the crack, as the stones hurled by the mangonels struck the walls, and the ring of steel as the arrows struck against steel cap and cuirass.
"It is fortunate that all were so well engaged, or they would certainly have heard the noise of our forcing the door, which would have brought all of them upon us.