I talked the situation over with the sergeant, who proved a hard-headed, practical man, and we decided upon an upstairs room, over the kitchen, which had only one small window, through which a man of ordinary size could hardly crawl.

I went up to examine this more carefully, and to nail down the window frame.

As I came out into the hall again, rather dreading the impending interview in the parlor, I saw her coming alone up the broad stairway.

She did not see me until her foot was upon the last step, and then she stopped, suddenly, one hand gripping the rail, her cheeks burning.

One glance into her eyes caused me to nerve myself for an unpleasant session.
"I have been waiting for you to return," she said very coldly, yet with a slight falter in the voice, "and when I spoke to the sergeant, he said you were up here." I bowed, hat in hand, and waited, unwilling to speak until I knew something of her purpose.
"Lieutenant Galesworth, what is the meaning of all this?
What do you propose doing with my father and Captain Le Gaire ?" "Did they send you to me to find out ?" "No; father merely supposed I was going to my own room after something I needed." "And Le Gaire ?" I insisted.
She looked at me frankly, her eyes utterly fearless.
"We have scarcely spoken, and--and he certainly would never have advised my coming to you.