Armitage sprang up and caught the lowest
round of the ladder, and in a moment his tall figure was a dark blur
against the wall as he crept warily upward. The rear rooms of the second
story were as dark and quiet as those below. Armitage continued to the
third story, where a door, as well as several windows, gave upon the
balcony; and he found that it was from a broken corner of the door shade
that a sharp blade of light cut the dark. All continued quiet below; he
heard the traffic of the neighboring thoroughfares quite distinctly; and
from a kitchen near by came the rough clatter of dishwashing to the
accompaniment of a quarrel in German between the maids. For the moment
he felt secure, and bent down close to the door and listened.
Two men were talking, and evidently the matter under discussion was of
importance, for they spoke with a kind of dogged deliberation, and the
long pauses in the dialogue lent color to the belief that some weighty
matter was in debate. The beat of the rain on the balcony and its steady
rattle in the spout intervened to dull the sound of voices, but presently
one of the speakers, with an impatient exclamation, rose, opened the
small glass-paned door a few inches, peered out, and returned to his seat
with an exclamation of relief.
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