Page:Marsh--The seen and the unseen.djvu/82

58 The speaker was a woman—of a surety, the speaker was a woman!

"My darling!" This time the speaker unmistakably was Solly.

Then there ensued what Warder Slater had described as "carryings-on." The governor's sensations must have been of a somewhat speckled variety as he played the part of eavesdropper to proceedings such as those, because there could be not the slightest possible shadow of doubt that within that cell there were "carryings-on." There came to them who listened the sound of a woman's voice, uttering, in tones so tender they fell like sweet music on the ear, "loves," and "sweethearts," and "my own, own darlings!" and such-like vanities. And to her replied a man, in tones as tender if not as musical, who did his best to give the woman a fair exchange for her conversational sweetmeats of affection. But when it came to kissing, audible, in its prolonged ecstasy, on the outer side of that thick oaken door, the governor seemed to think that it was time that something should be done.

"Now!" he whispered.

And, almost simultaneously, the key was turned in the well-oiled lock. The door was thrown wide open, and Warder Slater's lantern gleamed into the cell. Then there was silence, both in the cell and out of it; and the governor stood within the open doorway, with the warder just in front of him, a little to one side, so as not to obstruct the governor's view, and the lantern in his hand. And both of these officials stared—stared hard! For in front of them stood Solly in considerable undress, and at his side