"How strange this is!" said Lilly with a slight shiver, and she prepared to walk down the narrow gangway, the windows of which were covered with ice and frost-patterns.
The same moment she observed that her guide gave a start and seemed suddenly to have lost his presence of mind. Then he walked before her and barred the way.
"What has happened?" Lilly asked in surprise.
He coloured, and said: "We had better not go on. We'll go somewhere where there's more of interest to see. There's nothing at all here."
He planted himself firmly in front of her so that Lilly could not catch a glimpse of the shelves along the wall. Of course, this completely aroused her curiosity.
"But I should like to go on," she said, and she assumed the defiant naughty manner which generally gained her the day with him.
"No, no!" he exclaimed hurriedly. "There are secrets of business here that I can reveal to no one. Even the employés are not allowed to come in. I am very sorry, but I really cannot."
"Then you should not have brought me in at all," said Lilly, and she turned back in high dudgeon.
He exhausted every excuse he could think of, his excitement made him hoarse, and he coughed perpetually. He led her up the dirty steps again and over the gorgeous mosaic floor of the courtyard to the shoddy marble entrance, where a bitter wind was blowing.
"You'll catch cold," she said, wishing to hasten her departure.