“Gilbert?”
“Gilbert follows the King,” continued Andrea: “he shuts the door behind him, he puts his foot on the candle dropped on the carpet; he advances towards me—Oh!”
Rising on her brother’s arm, her muscles stiffened as though about to snap.
“The villain!” she got out at last, and fell without strength. “It was he!” Then rising so as to reach her brother’s ear, she hissed into it while her eyes glittered: “You will kill him, Philip?”
“Oh, yes,” said the young man.
As he leaped up he overturned a stand of china and the porcelain was shivered to pieces.
The crash was blended with the bang of a door, over which rang Andrea’s shriek.
“We were overheard,” said Philip.
“It is he,” said Andrea.
“Gilbert everywhere? Yes, I will kill him,” and he darted into the anteroom while Andrea fell on the sofa.