Page:Rowland--The closing net.djvu/33

Rh "We'd better go. It's daylight now, and there's something here I don't like," I whispered to Léontine.

For answer she clasped my hand tight in hers and pushed her face forward until her lips were against my ear and I could feel her breath on my cheek.

"You promised," she whispered, almost pleadingly. "Surely you are not afraid! And there may be another kiss for you when it's all done!"

I didn't answer, but started ahead. We reached the top of the stairs and passed softly down the hall, for I judged that madame's room would be in the front of the house and probably on the southeast corner. As we reached the end I could see that the dawn was coming, for there was a pale-grey light through the window. Then all at once I had the same nasty sensation of danger close at hand, this time even stronger, and I cursed myself for a fool to have listened to the girl. We stopped again, and I whispered:

"I don't like this. There's somebody around—"

That was as far as I got, for there came a sharp click from behind us, then a blaze of light, and there we were standing in the full glare of the electric lamps at the far end of the hall, while not ten feet away, between us and the stairs, stood a tall man in pajamas, with a big black revolver at half-arm, ready to cut down and shoot.

Léontine gave a choked little scream and lurched back against me. She was between the man and myself. But the girl was game, and suddenly she reached behind her and shoved a gun into my hand. I saw my chance, because the man balked at firing on