the door
leading to the drawing-room. She could see nothing at all, but her
nerves did not relax their tenseness. She could see nothing; but she
felt that something--somebody was there, watching her. Somebody--whom
could it be? Sally knew how deserted the bar was, how easy it would be
for a man to slip up the stairs without being seen. She was
defenceless. If she had been well, she would have gone straight along
the balcony, to discover the cause of her alarm; but she was ill, and
she shrank back in her chair, watching the pulsing dimness.

Sally knew that there were only two people who could wish her harm--Gaga
and Toby. If Gaga had gone out of his bedroom by the inner door he might
have come round through the drawing-room, and might be standing there in
the darkness. He might have gone away again. He might have found the
poison. In a passion of fear, she rose. If it was Gaga, she would soon
confront him. She would satisfy herself of his presence in the bedroom.
She took two steps, and then stopped, her heart frantically beating.
There _was_ somebody there.

"Sally," came a sharp whisper. "Sally. Don't be afraid."

It was Toby, hidden still from sight, but waiting there at the dark end
of the balcony.

xxii

Sally's eyes flew instantly to the window of the bedroom. All there was
dark. She could not tell if the blinds were drawn or not. She no longer
dreaded Toby: she too violently desired to see him, to be in his arms
and saved from her nightmare thoughts by a moment's oblivion.

"Hush!" she whispered, and went silently along the balcony. "What d'you
want?"

"I want you." Toby's voice came hissing into her ear, and she saw him at
last. He was standing, a burly figure, in the shadow of a screen, and
remained quite still, hidden.

"What did you come for? How did you get here?"

"Went to your house. Frightened 'em." Toby laughed grimly. "Thought
you'd got away, didn't you? Well, here I am." His tone became suddenly
ferocious. "See?"

"You can't ... we can't talk. My husband's there--in that room. He'll
hear. He saw you last night."

"I got to see you," Toby whispered, obstinately. "See? I mean to say, I
got to know what you're going to do."

Sally gave a contemptuous laugh. So he had followed her for that!

"Well, I'm well rid of _you_," she answered. "I see what _you_ are."

"Oh, you do, do you...." said Toby. He gripped her arm. "Not so much of
that, Sal. D'you see? I won't have it. You belong to me