It was in the balcony behind this shield, long since blocked up as you see, that the musicians sat on that ball night of which Gaskell dreamt.

From it they looked down on the hall below where dancing was going forward, and I will now take you downstairs that you may see if the description tallies." So saying, he raised himself, and descending the stairs with much less difficulty than he had shown in mounting them, flung open the door which I had seen in the passage and ushered us into the shop on the ground-floor.

The evening light had now faded so much that we could scarcely see even in the passage, and the shop having its windows barricaded with shutters, was in complete darkness.

Raffaelle, however, struck a match and lit three half-burnt candles in a tarnished sconce upon the wall.
The shop had evidently been lately in the occupation of a wine-seller, and there were still several empty wooden wine-butts, and some broken flasks on shelves.

In one corner I noticed that the earth which formed the floor had been turned up with spades.