I bent and kissed her and felt her warm lips answer. Oh, now I could smile in the very face of death!
“I love you!” I murmured, my pulses bounding wildly. “I love you!—love you!—love you! Now and always, I love you!—for life or death!——”
A deep roar burst upon the night, a sheet of livid flame leaped upward toward us, and the tower swayed and trembled as though smitten by some mighty hand.
A SHEET OF LIVID FLAME LEAPED UPWARD TOWARD US,
AND THE TOWER SWAYED
CHAPTER XIV.
A BETTER MAN THAN I.
I opened my eyes to find the tower still standing and my love clinging to me, her face tear-stained and white.
“We are safe!” she cried. “We are safe! It was not the end!”
Then the bonds of bewilderment were struck away, for the mob with a wild yell charged toward the tower as one man.
“A mine!” cried M. le Comte. “A mine!” And putting his wife gently from him, he hurled himself toward the stair.