If one had the secret in his possession, he could go down through the mysterious trap door in the workshop of William Spantz, armourer to the Crown; or he might come up through a hidden aperture in the walls of the great government sewer, which ran directly parallel with and far below the walls of the quaint old building.

One could take his choice of direction in approaching this hole in the huge sewer: he could come up from the river, half a mile away, or he could come down from the hills above if he had the courage to drop through one of the intakes.
It is of special significance that the trap door in Spantz's workshop was reserved for use by the armourer and his more fastidious comrades--of whom three were women and one an established functionary in the Royal Household.

One should not expect ladies to traverse a sewer if oilier ways are open to them.

The manner of reaching the workshop was not so simple, however, as you might suppose.

The street door was out of the quest ion, with Dangloss on the watch, day and night.