A push then opened the door.

It was at the foot of a short flight of steps.
They ascended, and at the top Curdie found himself in a space which, from the echo to his stamp, appeared of some size, though of what sort he could not at first tell, for his hands, feeling about, came upon nothing.

Presently, however, they fell on a great thing: it was a wine cask.
He was just setting out to explore the place thoroughly, when he heard steps coming down a stair.

He stood still, not knowing whether the door would open an inch from his nose or twenty yards behind his back.
It did neither.

He heard the key turn in the lock, and a stream of light shot in, ruining the darkness, about fifteen yards away on his right.
A man carrying a candle in one hand and a large silver flagon in the other, entered, and came toward him.