"Do come away from the window," he entreated. "I was only rotting. I wanted to make you laugh again; nothing else, I swear. Please come away from the window."
She did not stir. She wanted to crawl into something--crawl away with her shame.
Then she felt herself roughly seized by his hands.
So it had come to that, too! She was to be beaten by him!
She struck at him, wrestled with him, dug her fingers into his throat, and then suddenly ... A whizzing, clashing, and clattering, and splinters of glass flew over their heads; and an oblong, dark, slender thing glanced by them, like the shaft of a lance, hit something, rebounded, and lay at their feet.
At the same time she felt a gust of wind blow on her forehead and awaken her from the stupefaction of the moment.
One of the upper window-panes was shivered to atoms. But no sign of a living person was to be seen. Only the balcony door, which a minute or two had been shut, stood open, showing blackness within as it swung to.
"A near shave, by Jove!" said Walter, and stooped to pick up the mysterious weapon, the splintered panes of glass crashing beneath his feet.
"The pea-shooter!" faltered Lilly.
Yes, it was the pea-shooter that a quarter of an hour ago had stood on her balcony.