“No, no: you’re wrong. I must act!”
“I won’t have it! I won’t have it!” she cried.
She held him with trembling hands; and she, who had been so frightened of being carried by him a few moments before, held him clasped to her, with a grip there was no loosening.
“Don’t be frightened,” he said quickly.
“I’m not frightened,” she said. “But we must remain together. The same danger threatens us. Let’s stick to one another.”
“I won’t leave you,” said Ralph. “You’re right.” He put his head out of the door to take a look round. A third bullet shattered one of the tiles of the roof.
So they were besieged, compelled to stay where they were. Two marksmen armed with long-range rifles prevented any attempt to get away. Ralph had time to learn the position of these marksmen, from two little clouds of smoke which were rising at a distance. Posted a little way from one another on the cliff on the right, they were about two hundred and fifty yards away. From that point they commanded the whole length of the lake and the little corner of the beach that still remained above the water and nearly all of the interior of the grotto. All of it, except a recess on the right, in which they were huddled, and the very back of it where were the two stones which served as a fireplace, which was hidden by the slope of the roof, was open to their fire. [[275]]
By a violent effort Ralph forced himself to laugh.
“This is funny,” he said.
His laughter seemed so spontaneous that it quieted Aurelie.