She nodded. “He will spare my life if I will marry him. Marry him! Ah, mein Gott! is it not horrible? This murderer, this unspeakable villain. Be his wife! And for how long? He dare not let me live even if he should wish. Already they say he has killed one wife and is secretly married now.”
“To a lady whom he passes off as his sister. She knows you are here?”
“I cannot tell. What must her life be, poor woman!”
“I fancy she suspects the truth.”
“Ah!”
“She saved my life last night by a timely warning.”
The girl’s eyes filled with tears. “And you risked it for me! You shall not. It is not worth it. I am a dead woman. You must think of me no more. It was wicked, it was cruel of me to throw you my fan. But I was desperate, in deadly fear which is over now, and I little thought——”
“That the fan would fall at the feet of one who would gladly give his life even in the most impossible attempt to save you,” I interrupted vehemently. “Fräulein, I entreat you, do not give yourself up for lost while there is a beat left in my heart or your own. Mine is the worthless life, not yours. Let me give it for you if need be; nay, I must, whether you will or not. If only time be yet on our side! Let me not waste it now. What we have to do is to remove these bars and then the rest should be easy.”
I struck a light and examined the extremities of the irons which crossed the window. They were simply secured to the sides by heavy screws; nothing but a wrench would be needed to remove them. So that was hopeful enough. I told the prisoner, who had been on guard at the door, how easy her escape should be. But there was much to think of and plan before the attempt could be made. For if it failed her death would be logically certain.
She saw that. “As it is it may be too late,” she said. “I am dead already to every one but these people and you.” She made a little despairing grimace; her natural liveliness still flickered, though nearly quenched by those gloomy and terrifying surroundings.