But Eva was not paying attention any longer, either to me or to José; his white teeth were showing in a grin for all his pain; her eyes were fixed in horror on the floor.
“They've come back,” she gasped. “The underground passage! Hark—hark!”
There was a muffled rush of feet beneath our own, then a dull but very distinguishable clatter on some invisible stair.
“Underground passage!” I exclaimed, and in my sheer disgust I forgot what was due to my darling. “Why on earth didn't you tell me of it before?”
“There was so much to tell you! It leads to the sea. Oh, what shall we do? You must hide—upstairs—anywhere!” cried Eva, wildly. “Leave them to me—leave them to me.”
“I like that,” said I; and I did; but I detested myself for the tears my words had drawn, and I prepared to die for them.
“They'll kill you, Mr. Cole!”
“It would serve me right; but we'll see about it.”
And I stood with my revolver very ready in my right hand, while with the other I caught poor Eva to my side, even as a door flew open, and Rattray himself burst upon us, a lantern in his hand, and the perspiration shining on his handsome face in its light.
I can see him now as he stood dumfounded on the threshold of the hall; and yet, at the time, my eyes sped past him into the room beyond.