Her back was toward me, and
she heard nothing; then a man came round the end of the house, walking
slowly and smoking. I could see the red glow of his cigar, and inhale
the fragrance of the tobacco. I hung on desperately, bending my body
along the rail, and he passed directly beneath, yet so shadowed I could
merely distinguish his outline. The fellow--an officer, no doubt,
seeking a breath of fresh air--strolled to the opposite corner, and then
turned off into the orchard. I dared not risk an attempt to drop and
run, for I knew not what might await me in the darkness. Yet where I
clung I was exposed to discovery, and, when he turned his back, I sank
down once more within the shelter of the balcony. He stopped under the
trees, apparently having found a seat of some kind, although I could see
nothing except the tip of the burning cigar, as he flipped aside the
ashes. I had almost forgotten what might be occurring within, until
aroused by the sound of Le Gaire's voice.
He certainly looked a handsome fellow, standing there with hand still on
the knob of the door, dressed in a new uniform tailored to perfection,
his lips and eyes smiling pleasantly, never suspecting the reason for
which he was summoned.
"What is it, Billie?" he asked easily.
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