n the right house
after all. What they said was lost to us, but I could distinguish the
woman's voice, low-pitched and vibrant as though insisting upon a
refusal, and the man's scarce adult tones, now high as though with balked
passion, now shaken and imploring. I was for leaving the place at once,
but Nick clutched my arm tightly; and suddenly, as I stood undecided, the
voices ceased entirely, there were the sounds of a scuffle, and the
lattice of the gallery was flung open. In the all but darkness we saw a
figure climb over the railing, hang suspended for an instant, and drop
lightly to the ground. Then came the light relief of a woman's gown in
the opening of the lattice, the cry "Auguste, Auguste!" the wicket in the
gate opened and slammed, and a man ran at top speed along the banquette
towards the levee.

Instinctively I seized Nick by the arm as he started out of the doorway.

"Let me go," he cried angrily, "let me go, Davy."

But I held on.

"Are you mad?" I said.

He did not answer, but twisted and struggled, and before I knew what he
was doing he had pushed me off the stone step into a tangle of blackened
beams behind. I dropped his arm to save myself, and it was mere good
fortune that I did not break an ankle in the fall. When I had gained the
step again he was gone after the man, and a portly citizen stood in front
of me, looking into the doorway.

"Qu'est-ce-qu'il-y-a la dedans?" he demanded sharply.

It was a sufficiently embarrassing situation. I put on a bold front,
however, and not deigning to answer, pushed past him and walked with as
much leisure as possible along the banquette in the direction which Nick
had taken. As I turned the corner I glanced over my shoulder, and in the
darkness I could just make out the man standing where I had left him. In
great uneasiness I pursued my way, my imagination summing up for Nick all
kinds of adventures with disagreeable consequences. I walked for some
time--it may have been half an hour--aimlessly, and finally decided it
would be best to go back to Madame Bouvet's and await the issue with as
much calmness as possible. He might not, after all, have caught the
fellow.

There were few people in the dark streets, but at length I met a man who
gave me directions, and presently found my way back to my lodging place.
Talk and laughter floated through the latticed windows into the street,
and when I had pushed back the curtain and looked into the saloon I found