ntess's room. The others, by which it was not necessary for me to
pass, were the windows of the Count's dressing-room, of the bathroom,
and of the second empty spare room.

No sound reached my ears--the black blinding darkness of the night was
all round me when I first stood on the verandah, except at that part of
it which Madame Fosco's window overlooked. There, at the very place
above the library to which my course was directed--there I saw a gleam
of light! The Countess was not yet in bed.

It was too late to draw back--it was no time to wait. I determined to
go on at all hazards, and trust for security to my own caution and to
the darkness of the night. "For Laura's sake!" I thought to myself, as
I took the first step forward on the roof, with one hand holding my
cloak close round me, and the other groping against the wall of the
house. It was better to brush close by the wall than to risk striking
my feet against the flower-pots within a few inches of me, on the other
side.

I passed the dark window of the spare room, trying the leaden roof at
each step with my foot before I risked resting my weight on it. I
passed the dark windows of Laura's room ("God bless her and keep her
to-night!"). I passed the dark window of Sir Percival's room. Then I
waited a moment, knelt down with my hands to support me, and so crept
to my position, under the protection of the low wall between the bottom
of the lighted window and the verandah roof.

When I ventured to look up at the window itself I found that the top of
it only was open, and that the blind inside was drawn down. While I was
looking I saw the shadow of Madame Fosco pass across the white field of
the blind--then pass slowly back again. Thus far she could not have
heard me, or the shadow would surely have stopped at the blind, even if
she had wanted courage enough to open the window and look out?

I placed myself sideways against the railing of the verandah--first
ascertaining, by touching them, the position of the flower-pots on
either side of me. There was room enough for me to sit between them
and no more. The sweet-scented leaves of the flower on my left hand
just brushed my cheek as I lightly rested my head against the railing.

The first sounds that reached me from below were caused by the opening
or closing (most probably the latter) of three doors in succession--the
doors, no doubt, leading into the hall and into the rooms on each side
of the library