Againsheplayedalittlemoreloudlyforafewmoments。Thenthemusicdiedawayoncemore。
“Whatreasondidhegiveforkeepingpossessionofthat？“
“Anotherbobby，“Hamelreplied。“Heisaninventor，itseems。Hehasthemodelofsomethingthere；hewouldnottellmewhat。“
Sheshiveredalittle，andhermusicdriftedaway。Shebentoverthekeys，herfacehiddenfromhim。
“Youwillnotgoawayjustyet？“sheaskedsoftly。“Youaregoingtostayforafewdays，atanyrate？“
“Withoutadoubt，“heassuredher。“Iamaltogethermyownmaster。“
“ThankGod，“shemurmured。
Heleanedwithhiselbowagainstthetopofthepiano，lookingdownather。Sincedinnertimeshehadfastenedalargeredroseinthefrontofhergown。
“Doyouknowthatthisisallrathermysterious？“hesaidcalmly。
“’Whatismysterious？“shedemanded。
“Theatmosphereoftheplace:youruncle’squeeraversiontomyhavingtheTower；yourvisitorupstairs，whofightswiththeservantswhileweareatdinner；yourunclehimself，whosewillseemstobelawnotonlytoyoubuttoyourbrother，whomustbeofage，Ishouldthink，andwhoseemstohaveplentyofspirit。“
“Welivehere，bothofus，“shetoldhim。“Heisourguardian。“
“Naturally，“Hamelreplied，“andyet，itmayhavebeenmyfancy，ofcourse，butatdinnertimeIseemedtogetaqueerimpression。
“Tellitme？“sheinsisted，herfingersbreakingsuddenlyintoaliveliermelody。“Tellitmeatonce？Youwerethereallthetime。
Icouldseeyouwatch-ng。Tellmewhatyouthought？“
Shehadturnedherheadnow，andhereyeswerefixeduponhis。Theywerelargeandsoft，capable，heknew，ofinfiniteexpression。Yetatthatmomentthelightthatshonefromthemwassimplyoneoffear，halfcurious，halfshrinking。
“Myimpression，“hesaid，“wasthatbothofyoudislikedandfearedMr。Fentolin，yetforsomereasonorotherthatyouwerehisabjectslaves。“
Herfingersseemedsuddenlyinspiredwithdiabolicalstrengthandenergy。Strangechordscrashedandbrokebeneaththem。Sheplayedsomeunfamiliarmusicwithtenseandfierceenergy。Suddenlyshepausedandrosetoherfeet。
“Comeoutontotheterrace，“sheinvited。“Youarenotafraidofcold？“
Hefollowedherwithoutaword。SheopenedtheFrenchwindows，andtheysteppedoutontothelong，broadstonepromenade。Thenightwasdark，andtherewaslittletobeseen。Thelightwasburningattheentrancetothewaterway；afewlightsweretwinklingfromthevillage。Thesoftmoaningoftheseawasdistinctlyaudible。
Shemovedtotheedgeofthepalisading。Hefollowedherclosely。
“Youareright，Mr。Hamel，“shesaid。“IthinkthatIammoreafraidofhimthananywomaneverwasofanymaninthisworld。“
“Thenwhydoyoulivehere？“heprotested。“Youmusthaveotherrelationstowhomyoucouldgo。Andyourbrother-whydoesn’thedosomething-gointooneoftheprofessions？Hecouldsurelyleaveeasilyenough？“
“Iwilltellyouasecret，“sheansweredcalmly。“Perhapsitwillhelpyoutounderstand。Youknowmyuncle’scondition。Youknowthatitwastheresultofanaccident？“
“Ihaveheardso，“herepliedgravely。
Sheclutchedathisarm。
“Come，“shesaid。
Sidebysidetheywalkedtheentirelengthoftheterrace。Whentheyreachedthecorner，theyweremetwithafiercegustofwind。
Shebattledalong，andhefollowedher。Theywerelookinginlandnow。Therewerenolightsvisible-nothingbutdark，chaoticemptiness。Fromsomewherebelowhimhecouldhearthewindinthetree-tops。
“Thisway，“shedirected。“Becareful。“
Theywalkedtotheveryedgeofthepalisading。Itwasscarcelymorethanacoupleoffeethigh。Shepointeddownwards。
“Canyousee？“shewhispered。
Bydegreeshiseyesfaintlypenetratedthedarkness。Itwasasthoughtheywerelookingdownaprecipice。Thedescentwasperfectlysheerfornearlyahundredfeet。Atthebottomwerethepinetrees。
“Comehereagaininthemorning，“shewhispered。“Youwillseethen。
Ibroughtyouheretoshowyoutheplace。Itwasherethattheaccidenthappened。“
“Whataccident？“
“Mr。Fentolln’s，“shecontinued。“Itwasherethathewentover。
Hewaspickedupwithbothhislegsbroken。Theyneverthoughtthathewouldlive。“
Hamelshiveredalittle。Ashiseyesgrewaccustomedtothedarkness，hesawmoredistinctlythaneverthesheerfall，thetopsofthebendingtreesbelow。
“Whatahorriblething！“heexclaimed。
“Itwasmorehorriblethanyouknow，“shecontinued，droppinghervoicealittle，almostwhisperinginhisear。“IdonotknowwhyItellyouthis-you，astranger-butifIdonottellsomeone，Ithinkthatthememoryofitwilldrivememad。Itwasnoaccidentatall。Mr。Fentolinwasthrownover！“
“Bywhom？“heasked。
Sheclungtohisarmforamoment。
“Ah，don’taskme！“shebegged。“Nooneknows。Myunclegaveout，assoonashewasconscious，thatitwasanaccident。“
“That，atanyrate，wasfineofhim，“Hameldedared。
Sheshivered。
“Hewasproud，atleast，ofourfamilyname。Whatevercredithedeservesforit，hemusthave。Itwasowingtothataccidentthatwebecamehisslaves:nothingbutthat-hisabsoluteslaves，towaituponhim，ifhewould，handandfoot。Yousee，hehasneverbeenabletomarry。Hislifewas，ofcourse，ruined。Sotheburdencametous。Wetookitup，littlethinkingwhatwasinstoreforus。
Fiveyearsagowecameheretolive。Geraldwantedtogointothearmy；Iwantedtotravelwithmymother。Geraldhasdonealltheworksecretly，buthehasneverbeenallowedtopasshisexaminations。
IhaveneverleftEnglandexcepttospendtwoyearsatthestrictestboarding-schoolinParis，towhichIwastakenandfetchedawaybyoneofhiscreatures。Welivehere，withtheshadowofthisthingalwayswithus。Wearehispuppets。Ifwehesitatetodohisbidding，heremindsus。Sofar，wehavebeenhiscreatures，bodyandsoul。Whetheritwillgoon，Icannotsay-oh，Icannotsay！
Itisbadforus，but-thereismother，too。Hemakesherlifeaperfecthell！“
Aroarofwindcameboomingoncemoreacrossthemarshes，bendingthetreeswhichgrewsothicklybeneaththemandwhichascendedprecipitatelytothebackofthehouse。TheFrenchwindowsbehindrattled。Shelookedaroundnervously。
“Iamafraidofhimallthetime，“shemurmured。“Heseemstooverheareverything-heorhiscreatures。Listen！“
Theyweresilentforseveralmoments。Hewhisperedinherearsocloselythatthroughthedarknesshecould，seethefireinhereyes。
“Youaretellingmehalf，“hesaid。“Tellmeeverything。Whothrewyouruncleovertheparapet？
Shestoodbyhisside，motionlessandtrembling。
“Itwasthepassionofamoment，“shesaidatlast，speakinghoarsely。“Icannottellyou。Listen！Listen！“
“Thereisnoonenear，“Hamelassuredher。“Itisthewindwhichshakesthewindows。Iwishthatyouwouldtellmeeverything。I
wouldliketobeyourfriend。Believeme，Ihavethatdesire，really。TherearesomanythingswhichIdonotunderstand。Thatitisdullhereforyou，ofcourse，isnatural，butthereissomethingmorethanthat。Youseemalwaystofearsomething。Youruncleisaselfishman，naturally，althoughtolookathimheseemstohavethedispositionofanangel。Butbeyondthat，isthereanythingofwhichyouareafraid？Youseemallthetimetoliveinfear。“
Shesuddenlyclutchedhishand。Therewasnothingofaffectioninhertouch，andyethefeltathrillofdelight。
“Therearestrangethingswhichhappenhere，“shewhispered，“thingswhichneitherGeraldnorIunderstand。Yettheyterrifyus。I
thinkthatverysoontheendwillcome。Neitherofuscanstanditverymuchlonger。Wehavenofriends。Somehoworother，heseemstomanagetokeepusalwaysisolated。“
“Ishallnotgoawayfromhere，“Hamelsaidfirmly，“atpresent。
Mind，Iamnotatallsurethat，livingthissolitarylifeasyoudo，youhavenotbecomealittleover-nervous；thatyouhavenotexaggeratedthefearofsomethings。Tomeyouruncleseemsmerelyquixoticandegregiouslyselfish。Howeverthatmaybe，I
amgoingtoremain。“Sheclutchedonce，moreathisarm，herfingerwasupraised。Theylistenedtogether。Fromsomewherebehindthemcametheclear，lowwailingofaViolin。
“ItisMr。Fentolin，“shewhispered。“Pleasecomein；letusgoinatonce。Heonlyplayswhenheisexcited。Iamafraid！Oh，Iamafraidthatsomethingisgoingtohappen！“
Shewasalreadyroundthecornerandonherwaytothemainterrace。
Hefollowedherclosely。
