Her brilliant long
eyes melted and flashed, her soft unformed mouth wore a constant alluring
smile.
A declaration trembled on his tongue, but he felt that he would be taking
an unfair advantage and restrained himself. Besides, he wished to win Mrs.
Groome completely to his side, to say nothing of the still more alarming
because more worldly Mrs. Abbott. _She_ was a snob, if you like!
V
At nine o'clock, after he had given the inmates of the house and
outbuildings stern orders not to light a candle or lamp under any
circumstances--such was the emergency law--he bade Alexina a gallant
good-night, and betook himself to the lawn within the grove of sighing
eucalyptus trees, to pace up and down, his rifle in his arm, his eyes
alert, and quite aware of the admiring young princess at the casement
above.
He did his work very thoroughly, visiting outhouses at intervals and
sharply inspecting the weary occupants, as well as the prostrate forms
under the trees. They were all far too tired and apprehensive to dream of
breaking into the house that had given them hospitality, even had they been
villains, which they were not.
But they did not resent his inspection; rather they felt a sense of
security in this watching manly figure with the gun, for they were rather
afraid of villains themselves: it was reported that many looters had
been stood against hissing walls and shot by the stern orders of General
Punston.
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