He walked last, watching the least movement of Athos, his naked dirk in his sleeve, and ready to plunge it into the back of the gentleman at the first suspicious gesture he should see him make.

But Athos, with a firm and sure step, crossed the chambers and courts.
Not a door, not a window was left in the building.

The doors had been burnt, some on the spot, and the charcoal of them was still jagged with the action of the fire, which had gone out of itself, powerless, no doubt, to get to the heart of those massive joints of oak fastened together with iron nails.

As to the windows, all the panes having been broken, night birds, alarmed by the torch, flew away through their holes.

At the same time, gigantic bats began to trace their vast, silent circles around the intruders, whilst the light of the torch made their shadows tremble on the high stone walls.