The sound of her own voice, in the terrible stillness that had fallen upon them, was uncanny. She shivered with fright.
She turned from the unfortunate child, and cast a look of dread upon the man beside her, and, to her horror, found the hideous, glaring eyes fixed upon her.
She could not prevent a little shriek of terror. She watched him as though fascinated, while very slowly he arose to his feet, never once removing his terrible, glassy eyes from her face.
It seemed ages until he had gained his feet, and after he had, he still stood glaring at her, slowly rolling up his sleeves in a manner that seemed to paralyze her with horror.
[CHAPTER XXII.]
Like a bird that is magnetized into inactivity by the movements of a snake, Leonie sat and watched Ben Mauprat.
Slowly, and showing his teeth in a hideous manner that was peculiar to him, Ben continued to approach, until within a few feet of her he made a sudden spring.
How it was that she escaped him she could never have told, but she became conscious that she had leaped by him, and was standing a few feet away holding the child who was a heavy burden in spite of his being a physical wreck.
But she forgot it. She did not even remember in her fright that she had him in her arms, but stood there clasping him closely to her, panting with terror.