I bowed and started on, but she called me back. 349
“Did you know that Monsieur Eyre is here?”
“Kelly Eyre?”
“Oui, monsieur. He returns with an order from the governor of Lorient for the balloon.”
I was astonished, and asked where Eyre had gone.
“He is in your room,” she said, “loading your revolver. I hope you will not permit him to go alone to Paradise.”
“I’ll see about that,” I muttered, and hurried up the stairs and down the hallway to my bedchamber.
He sprang to the door as I entered, giving me both hands in boyish greeting, saying how delighted they all were to know that my injury had proved so slight.
“That balloon robbery worried me,” he continued. “I knew that Speed depended on his balloon for a living; so as soon as we entered Lorient I went to our consul, and he and I made such a row that the governor of Lorient gave me an order for the balloon. Here it is, Mr. Scarlett.”
His heightened color and excitement, his nervous impetuosity, were not characteristic of this quiet and rather indifferent young countryman of mine.