Fortunately Wilfrid’s movements had been so noiseless as not to disturb the occupant. His obvious course, then, was immediate retirement.
He was on the point of stealing off when his eye was caught by sparkles of light coming from a jewel-case that lay upon the dressing-table. It did not require the knowledge of a lapidary to pronounce that the rich gems and the wrought gold represented a very large amount of money. The owner was, obviously a lady of wealth, and—Shrine of Venus!—there could not be a doubt about it; he was standing in the very bed-chamber of the fair boyarine!
Nadia, paying too much attention, perhaps, to Wilfrid’s talking, had not noticed that instead of ascending to the third landing and taking the corridor that led from that, she had mistakenly stopped and turned when upon the second landing, with the result that Wilfrid, instead of being in the room immediately above that of the boyarine, was in the boyarine’s room itself!
“What would the Ugly One with the spurs and moustaches think,” muttered Wilfrid grimly, “if he knew of my presence here?”
The sooner he withdrew the better. He had already been in the room more than ten minutes. If Nadia should recall her error, and should come flying back with clamour, the issue might be awkward, both for the lady and himself.
Just as he was about to make for the door his ear detected a movement in the bed.
His heart almost leaped to his throat. Some instinct told him that the movement was not an unconscious stirring in slumber; the lady was wide awake, and remembering that she had gone to sleep in the dark, was doubtless puzzling herself to account for the light now shining through her bed-curtains.
His first impulse, to extinguish the light, was checked by the thought that the fear occasioned by the sudden darkness might elicit a scream from her. Better to stand still and be openly seen than to glide, a terrifying black shape, from the room.
A glance toward the bed showed him a hand coming forth from between the curtains—a hand as white as the sleeve of the nightdress that clothed the arm of the wearer.