The time did not seem long, though he sat there for hours, so active was his brain, and so flooded with memories of Leo’s early life—her wilful disobedience, her determined opposition even in childish things, and Salis felt that the woman was the same in spirit as the child had been, and that if Leo was to be reclaimed he must pursue a very different course in the future.
All at once he started, for there was the faint chirp of a bird; then the loud chink! chink! of a blackbird, and he became on the alert, for it was the note uttered when the bird was alarmed.
Day was close at hand, for there was a faint line of light in the east, and sure enough directly after there was a faint, rustling sound, as of a dress brushing against some bush; directly after—ruff, ruff; ruff, ruff—the rustling of the dress as its wearer walked quickly up the green path, as if in fear of being overtaken by the coming day.
Then it seemed a little darker just in front of the drawing-room window; a shrub was blotted out by something black, which seemed to glide by—ruff, ruff; ruff ruff—and then there was a hard breathing, and the creak of a piece of lattice.
For the moment, now that the time had arrived, Salis sat there quite overcome, and ready to let the opportunity pass.
But it was only momentary. Stung into action by the feeling that this woman was cruelly wronging and disgracing brother and sister, he rose from his place, took half-a-dozen quick strides, and was over the grass and at Leo’s elbow as she clung to the side of the summer-house, and was about to raise herself higher.
The sound of his approach was covered by the noise Leo made in rustling the growth pressed against her breast, and the first hint she had of discovery was a strong, firm hand grasping her delicate shoulder with almost painful violence.
She could not turn her head so as to confront Salis, for she was above the ground, clinging with outstretched arms to the strong trellis-work of the summer-house, but she uttered a low, hoarse cry, and a shiver ran through her as she felt the touch.
“Horace North!” she hissed, with her chin pressed down upon her breast. “You are a mean coward and spy. Oh, if I were a man!” Salis could not speak for a moment or two as he heard this confirmation of his belief, but he tightened his grasp till Leo uttered a cry of pain.
“You coward!” she hissed again. “It is not Horace North,” said Salis, in a deep voice. “Thank Heaven he does not know of this.”