Page:The traitor; a story of the fall of the invisible empire (IA traitorstoryoffa00dixo).pdf/212

 "Only the door," he laughed.

"It scared me nearly to death," she faltered, slowly withdrawing from his sheltering protection while she skilfully managed to press her soft bare arm against his hand. She felt him tremble, his breath deepen and quicken at the touch of her flesh.

"You're sure there's no danger?" she asked.

"Not the slightest," he replied cheerily. "Just one more little surprise and we are out in the moonlight on the lawn."

He led her clinging to his hand along the dark way, holding the flickering candle above her head, a hundred mad impulses of love surging through his brain.

They stopped at the stoneset door leading into the tomb, and he handed her the candle, gently disengaging his other hand. He drew the heavy door back, Stella stepped through and he followed close behind her.

She raised the candle high and looked about the vault. With a sudden cry, she staggered into his arms gasping:

Why,"Why, [sic]—we're—in—the—vault!"

The candle dropped from her hand and she threw her arm around John's neck clinging to him frantically. Her hold relaxed and her head drooped against his breast. He clasped her tenderly for a moment and his lips instinctively