At last he had led her from the
room and commended her to Helga's care. Then, returning to us, he
stood silent a little while. We also were silent, Sapt sitting
and looking up at him with his brows knit and his teeth
restlessly chewing the moustache on his lip.
"Well, lad?" he said at last, briefly putting the great question.
Rudolf walked to the window and seemed to lose himself for a
moment in the contemplation of the quiet night. There were no
more than a few stragglers in the street now; the moon shone
white and clear on the empty square.
"I should like to walk up and down outside and think it over," he
said, turning to us; and, as Bernenstein sprang up to accompany
him, he added, "No. Alone."
"Yes, do," said old Sapt, with a glance at the clock, whose hands
were now hard on two o'clock. "Take your time, lad, take your
time."
Rudolf looked at him and broke into a smile.
"I'm not your dupe, old Sapt," said he, shaking his head. "Trust
me, if I decide to get away, I'll get away, be it what o'clock it
will."
"Yes, confound you!" grinned Colonel Sapt.
So he left us, and then came that long time of scheming and
planning, and most persistent eye-shutting, in which occupations
an hour wore its life away.
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