Uponawaking，andstretchingforthanarm，Ifoundbesidemealoafandapitcherwithwater。Iwastoomuchexhaustedtoreflectuponthiscircumstance，butateanddrankwithavidity。Shortlyafterward，Iresumedmytouraroundtheprison，andwithmuchtoilcameatlastuponthefragmentoftheserge。UptotheperiodwhenIfellIhadcountedfifty-twopaces，anduponresumingmywalk，Ihadcountedforty-eightmore；whenIarrivedattherag。Therewereinall，then，ahundredpaces；and，admittingtwopacestotheyard，I
presumedthedungeontobefiftyyardsincircuit。Ihadmet，however，withmanyanglesinthewall，andthusIcouldformnoguessattheshapeofthevault；forvaultIcouldnothelpsupposingittobe。
Ihadlittleobjectcertainlynohopetheseresearches；butavaguecuriositypromptedmetocontinuethem。Quittingthewall，I
resolvedtocrosstheareaoftheenclosure。AtfirstIproceededwithextremecaution，forthefloor，althoughseeminglyofsolidmaterial，wastreacherouswithslime。Atlength，however，Itookcourage，anddidnothesitatetostepfirmly；endeavoringtocrossinasdirectalineaspossible。Ihadadvancedsometenortwelvepacesinthismanner，whentheremnantofthetornhemofmyrobebecameentangledbetweenmylegs。Isteppedonit，andfellviolentlyonmyface。
Intheconfusionattendingmyfall，Ididnotimmediatelyapprehendasomewhatstartlingcircumstance，whichyet，inafewsecondsafterward，andwhileIstilllayprostrate，arrestedmyattention。Itwasthismychinrestedupontheflooroftheprison，butmylipsandtheupperportionofmyhead，althoughseeminglyatalesselevationthanthechin，touchednothing。Atthesametimemyforeheadseemedbathedinaclammyvapor，andthepeculiarsmellofdecayedfungusarosetomynostrils。Iputforwardmyarm，andshudderedtofindthatIhadfallenattheverybrinkofacircularpit，whoseextent，ofcourse，Ihadnomeansofascertainingatthemoment。Gropingaboutthemasonryjustbelowthemargin，Isucceededindislodgingasmallfragment，andletitfallintotheabyss。FormanysecondsIhearkenedtoitsreverberationsasitdashedagainstthesidesofthechasminitsdescent；atlengththerewasasullenplungeintowater，succeededbyloudechoes。Atthesamemomenttherecameasoundresemblingthequickopening，andasrapidclosingofadooroverhead，whileafaintgleamoflightflashedsuddenlythroughthegloom，andassuddenlyfadedaway。