“But my dear woman, it’s only a little farther,” said Quentin.
“Well, I won’t budge.”
“Very well then, we’ll go on alone,” said Pacheco.
“Are we going to leave her here?” asked Quentin.
The bandit shrugged his shoulders, and without more ado, leaped over the balustrade again. Quentin followed him, and the two men rapidly covered a great distance.
“Now be careful,” warned Pacheco. “We’ve got to go around this cornice until we reach that window.”
It was a stone border about half a metre wide. At the end of it they could see a little illuminated balcony window, which as it threw the light against the wall, made the cornice look as if it were on the brink of a deep abyss. They went along very carefully on all fours, one behind the other. As they reached the balcony, Pacheco seized the balustrade and jumped upon the stairway. Quentin followed his example.
“Do you know, comrade,” remarked Quentin, “that this is scary business?”
“Then too, that light is enough to drive you crazy. In the daytime it doesn’t scare you at all to come over it. Now then, put on your cloak and the other tackle.”
Quentin tied his kerchief about his head, put on the hat, wrapped himself in the cloak and the two men descended the stairs into a garden. Crossing this, they came out upon the street.