My next employment was to pull up the pruning-ladder, as softly as possible, by the rope which I held attached to it.

This done, I put the ladder against the house wall, listened, measured the distance to the open second-floor window with my eye, listened again--and, finding all quiet, began my second and last ascent.

The ladder was comfortably long, and I was conveniently tall; my hand was on the window-sill--I mounted another two rounds--and my eyes were level with the interior of the room.
Suppose any one should be sleeping there! I listened at the window attentively before I ventured on taking my lantern out of my coatpocket.

The night was so quite and airless that there was not the faintest rustle among the leaves in the garden beneath me to distract my attention.

I listened.