She looked not at him,
but at the dead man on the window-seat, her hands clasping and
unclasping.
"Madame Alix," he said, at last, "you know our errand--we must carry
it out."
She bowed her head.
"I know it, monsieur," she answered. "But for him, there would have
been no such errand. As it is, I will help you all I can. Cecile," she
called to the woman at the window, "go and bring your sister to these
gentlemen."
The younger woman dried her eyes and left the room. We waited in tense
silence, our eyes on the door. We heard the sound of footsteps on the
stair; a moment, and she was on the threshold.
She came in slowly, listlessly--it gave me a shock to see the pallor
of her face. Then she glanced up and saw Royce standing there; she
drew in her breath with a quick gasp, a great wave of color swept
over her cheeks and brow, a great light sprang into her eyes.
"Oh, John!" she cried, and swayed toward him.
He had her in his arms, against his heart, and the glad tears sprang
to my eyes as I looked at them. I glanced at the elder woman, and saw
that her eyes were shining and her lips quivering.
"And I have come to take you away, my love," he was saying.
"Oh, yes; take me away," she sobbed, "before the other comes."
She stopped, her eyes on the window-seat, where "the other" lay, and
the color died out of her cheeks again.
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