“Let's go up on the roof, Daddy!” and ran upstairs.
Again he followed, mounting by a ladder, through a trapdoor on to the roof.
“It's splendid up here!” she cried.
He could see her eyes blazing, and thought: 'How my child does love excitement—it's almost terrible!'
Over the wide, dark, star-strewn sky travelling searchlights, were lighting up the few little clouds; the domes and spires rose from among the spread-out roofs, all fine and ghostly. The guns had ceased firing, as though puzzled. One distant bang rumbled out.
“A bomb! Oh! If we could only get one of the Zeps!”
A furious outburst of firing followed, lasting perhaps a minute, then ceased as if by magic. They saw two searchlights converge and meet right overhead.
“It's above us!” murmured Noel.
Pierson put his arm round her waist. 'She feels no fear!' he thought. The search-lights switched apart; and suddenly, from far away, came a confusion of weird sounds.
“What is it? They're cheering. Oh! Daddy, look!” There in the heavens, towards the east, hung a dull red thing, lengthening as they gazed.