"Thank God, she is not!" cried Lenz. "Keep your happy heart, Annele, if God delivers us."
Annele threw her arms about her husband's neck and hugged and kissed him. All were surprised at finding they had suddenly grown as gay as if the danger were passed, whereas it was really at its height. Neither communicated his fears to the others, but each saw how the walls trembled and the main beam seemed about to fall.
Annele and Lenz held each other in a close embrace. "So let us die and shelter our child!" cried Annele.
"Hark! there is a hollow sound without. It is our deliverers; they are coming, they are coming! they will save us!--"
CHAPTER XXXIX.
SAVED.
"There are two blows following close upon each other," cried Lenz. "I will make the clocks play together, as a sign to those without."
He set the two musical clocks in motion, but the dreadful confusion of sounds drove him almost frantic. Even in this hour of deadly danger a discord was intolerable to him. He stopped them suddenly. With a pang as of the severing of a heart-string he heard something in his great clock snap at the hasty check.
Again they held their breath and listened; no further sounds were heard.
"You rejoiced too soon," said Petrovitsch, his teeth chattering so that he could hardly speak. "We are nearer death than life now."