The Morning herald., 1877-02-22
CORD llp Orb
CHAPTER XXI.
FLIGHT.

Che deIiberated long. Two alternatives
u. before her-to 60 back to her own room
n ~ try to pass that door. To 60 back as
t~"r"lsiye as death, in fact more SO. If
tbe choice had been placed full before her
.bsn L to die on the spot or to 60 back to her
, s,om she would have deliberately chosen
Sssth, The thought Of returning, therefore,
S wss the last upon which she could dwell,
,"d n" thst of going forward was the only one
loft H To this she gave her attention.
At last she made up her mind, and ad-
,anced cautiously, close by the wall, to-
Yard the hall door. After time she
,sached the door Of the dinning-room.
conld she venture to pass it, and how ?
Che % psused. She listened. There were
M iov voices in the room. Then they were
still awake, still able to detect her if she
passed the door.
She looked all around. The hall was
vae, On the opposite side the wall was
b, feebly lighted. The hall lights had
boon mt out, and those which shone from
Tho room extended forward but short dis
lance. 1t was just possible therefore to
sscspe observation by crossing the door
v.y along the wall that was most distant
from it.
Yet before she tried this she 'ventured
n nut forward her head so as to peep into
tbe room. She stopped low and looked
cautiously and slowly.
The three were there at the farthest end
ofthe room. Bottels and glasses stood be-
tore them, and they were conversing in low
tones. however, were not so low but that
thew reached her ears. They were speak
ig about her.
SHow could she have found it out p
sid Clark.
"Mrs. Compton only knows one thing"
said Potts, "and that is the secret about
her. She knows nothing more. How
couldshe %
Then how could that cursed girl have
found out about the Thug business ?" ex-
claimed John.
There was no reply.
"She's deep one," said John, id
deep-deeper than ever thought. l al
ways said she was plucky-cursed plucky
but now see she's deep too-and l be-
gin to have my doubts about the way she
ought to be took down."
II never could make her out" said
Potts. "And now l don't even begin to
understand how she could know that which
only We have known. Do you think,
Clark, that the devil could have told her
0fit%
"Yes," said Clark. "Eobody but the
devil could have told her that, and my be-
lief that she's the devil himself. She's
the only person l ever felt afraid Of D-n
it, can't look her in the face"
Beatrice retreated aud passed across to
the opposite wall. She did not wish to
see or hear more. She glided by. She
was not noticed. She heard Johns voice
sharp and clear
"We'll have to commence Tomorrow
and take her down-that's a fact" This
was followed by silence.
Beatrice reached the door. She turned
the knob. Oh, joy! It was not locked. 1t
opened.
Noiselessly she passed through 4; noise
lessly she shut it behind her. She was
free.
The moon shone brightly. 1t illumined
the lawn in front and the tops ofthe clumps
oftrees whose dark foliage rose before her.
She was all this ; yet, in her eagerness to
escape, she saw nothing more, but sped
away swiftly down the steps, across the
lawn, and under the shade of the trees.
Which way should she go? There was
the main avenue which led in winding
direction toward the gate and the porter's
lodge. There was also another path which
the servants generally took. This led to
the gate also. Beatrice thought that by
going down this path she might come near
the gate and then turn off to the wall and
try and climb over.
A few moments of thought were sufficient
for her decision. She took the path and
went hurriedly along, keeping on the side
where the shadow was thickest.
She walked swiftly, until at length she
came to a place where the path ended.
It was close by the porter's lodge. Here
she paused to consider.
Late as it was there were lights in the
lodge and voices at the door. Some one
was talking with the porter. Suddenly the
voices ceased and man came walking to-
ward the place where she stood.
To dart into the thick trees where the
shadow lay deepest was the work of mo-
ment. She stood and watched. But the
underbush was dense, and the cracking
which she made attracted the mans atten.
tiou. He stopped for a moment, and then
rushed straight toward the place where she
was.