It is ever the vulnerable points which are most securely guarded, and it was my one comfort that the difficult way must also be the safe way, if only the difficulty could be overcome.

How to overcome it was the problem.
I followed the wall right round to the point at which it abutted on the tower that immured my love; the height never varied; nor could my hands or eyes discover a single foot-hole, ledge, or other means of mounting to the top.
Yet my hot head was full of ideas; and I wasted some minutes in trying to lift from its hinges a solid, six-barred, outlying gate, that my weak arms could hardly stir.

More time went in pulling branches from the oak-trees about the beck, where the latter ran nearest to the moonlit wall.

I had an insane dream of throwing a long forked branch over the coping, and so swarming up hand-over-hand.

But even to me the impracticability of this plan came home at last.