noon
Gaston and his men looked wonderingly around them , as they lighted their lanterns at the fire and flashed them here and there into all the dark corners , as though to assure themselves that there were no ambushed foes lurking in the grim recesses of that circular room . But Roger had been quite right . There was nothing living in that silent place . Not so much as a loophole in the wall admitted any air or light from the outer world , or could do so even in broad noon . The chamber was plainly hollowed out in the mass of earth and masonry of which the foundations of the Tower were composed , and if any air were admitted -LRB- as there must have been , else men could not breathe down there -RRB- , it was by some device not easily discovered at a first glance . It was in truth a strange and terrible place -- the dank walls , down which the damp moisture slowly trickled , hung round with instruments of various forms , all designed with a terrible purpose , and from their look but too often used . Gaston 's face assumed a look of dark wrath and indignation as his quick eyes roved round this evil place , and he set his teeth hard together as he muttered to himself : `` Heaven send that the Prince himself may one day look upon the vile secrets of this charnel house !