She hung off from the ladder, but when she stretched out her
arm her hand encountered only the wall. Must she, then, ascend without
pushing her plan to completion? Her arms were fatigued; the murmur of
the Morelle beneath her commenced to make her dizzy. Then she tore from
the wall little fragments of plaster and threw them against Dominique's
window. He did not hear; he was doubtless asleep. She crumbled more
plaster from the wall, scraping the skin off her fingers. She was
utterly exhausted; she felt herself falling backward, when Dominique at
last softly opened the window.
"It is I!" she murmured. "Catch me quickly; I'm falling!"
It was the first time that she had addressed him familiarly. Leaning
out, he seized her and drew her into the chamber. There she gave vent to
a flood of tears, stifling her sobs that she might not be heard. Then by
a supreme effort she calmed herself.
"Are you guarded?" she asked in a low voice.
Dominique, still stupefied at seeing her thus, nodded his head
affirmatively, pointing to the door. On the other side they heard
someone snoring; the sentinel, yielding to sleep, had thrown himself on
the floor against the door, arguing that by disposing himself thus the
prisoner could not escape.
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