“French troops will land here to-night or to-morrow,” I went on, calmly. “You will see how dangerous your situation is certain to become when Buckhurst is taken, and when it is understood what use you have made of the semaphore.”
She winced, then straightened and bent her steady gaze on me. Her courage was admirable.
“I thank you for telling me,” she said, simply. “Have I a chance to reach the Spanish frontier?”
“I think you have,” I replied. “Kelly Eyre is going with you when—”
“He? No, no, he must not! Does he know what I am?” she broke in, impetuously.
“Yes, mademoiselle; and he knows what happens to spies.”
“Did he offer to go?” she asked, incredulously.
“Mademoiselle, he insists.”
Her lip began to tremble. She turned toward the window, where the sea-fog flew past in the rising wind, and stared out across the immeasurable blackness of the ocean. 358
Without turning her head she said: “Does he know that it may mean his death?”