The time dragged on slowly enough, as it might well have done under the circumstances.  I was waiting for something,—­I had not the least idea what, or in what form it would arrive.  I heard the quarters chime one after the other until one o’clock.  Then at last I heard the sound of a key in the outer door of the suite.  I had already poured half the syphon of soda and a fair quantity of the whiskey out of the window.  I now threw myself upon the bed, closed my eyes, and did my best to simulate a heavy sleep.  The person who entered the apartments came up the little outer passage until he reached the door leading into my room.  I heard that softly opened.  Then there was a pause, broken only by my heavy breathing.  Some one was in the room, and it was some one who had learned the art of absolute noiselessness.  I heard no footsteps,—­not even a man’s breathing.  Suddenly there was the click of the electric light, and although I still heard nothing, I felt that some one had approached a little way towards the bed.  I dared not open my eyes, but in a restless movement, which I felt I might safely make, I raised my hand to shield me, and caught a momentary glimpse of the person who was standing between me and the door.  As I expected, it was Louis!  He held the soda-water syphon in his hand, as though measuring its contents.  I believe that he afterwards came and stood over me.  I dared not open my eyes again, for I was none too good an actor, and I feared that he might not be deceived.  The quantity of whiskey and soda, however, which I had apparently drunk, must have satisfied him, for he only stayed altogether about a minute in the room.  Then he passed out into the sitting-room, closing the door behind him, and without noticing the open transept.  I lay quite still, expecting that before long he would return.  There were no signs of his coming, however, though through the transept I could see that the light in the sitting-room had been turned on.  I rose softly from the bed and bolted both doors.  If Louis were to make up his mind to return, it was better, after all, for him to discover that I had been deceiving him than to have him come upon me unawares!

From the top of a chair I was easily able to see through the transept into the sitting-room.  At my first glance I thought that it was empty.  Then, however, I saw Louis come in from the outer hall, as though from the door of Felicia’s room.  He came into the centre of the sitting-room and stood there waiting.  He was in dark morning clothes, and there was no sign of that charming expression which his patrons found so attractive.  His brows were contracted.  His mouth seemed screwed together.  His peculiar-colored eyes shone like gimlets.  He seemed to be waiting impatiently—­waiting for what?  Once he moved a little, and glanced expectantly toward the open door of the sitting-room.  For the first time a horrible fear gripped me.  I could scarcely stand in my place.  With both hands I held the cornice.  My heart began to thump