The shutters were closed, but near
the top of each one was a small circular opening, through which the moon
shone and faintly lighted the dusky gallery, striking here and there
directly upon the face of a portrait, with an indescribably weird and
startling effect. It required all of Isabelle's really heroic courage to
keep on past the long line of strange faces, looking down mockingly it
seemed to her from their proud height upon her trembling form as she
glided swiftly by, and she was thankful to find, at the end of the
gallery, a glass door opening out upon the court. It was not fastened,
and after carefully placing her lamp in a sheltered corner, where no
draughts could reach it, she stepped out under the stars. It was a
relief to find herself breathing freely in the fresh, pure air, though
she was actually no less a prisoner than before, and as she stood
looking up into the clear evening sky, and thinking of her own true
lover, she seemed to feel new courage and hope springing up in her
heart.
In one corner of the court she saw a strong light shining out through
the crevices in the shutters that closed several low windows, and heard
sounds of revelry from the same direction--the only signs of life she
had detected about the whole place.
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