"Is she really going to take flight?" said Isabelle to herself, as she
anxiously watched Chiquita's movements, not knowing what to expect.
Exactly opposite to the window, on the other side of the moat, was an
immense tree, very high and old, whose great branches, spreading out
horizontally, overhung the water; but the longest of them did not reach
the wall of the chateau by at least ten feet. It was upon this tree,
however, that Chiquita's plan for escape depended. She turned away from
the window, drew from her pocket a long cord made of horse-hair, very
fine and strong, which she carefully unrolled to its full length and
laid upon the floor; then produced from another pocket an iron hook,
which she fastened securely to the cord. This done to her satisfaction,
she went to the window again, and threw the end of the cord with the
hook into the branches of the tree. The first time she was unsuccessful;
the iron hook fell and struck against the stone wall beneath the
casement; but at the second attempt the hook caught and held, and
Chiquita, drawing the cord taut, asked Isabelle to take hold of it
and bear her whole weight on it, until the branch was bent as far as
possible towards the chateau--coming five or six feet nearer to the
window where they were.
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