The Argosy — page 170: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

156 What Our Advertisement Brought. in the door; but in an instant I recollected that it was left on the outer side, as we had been in the habit of locking this room when we passed up to bed. If I attempted to go upstairs to Deborah the robber below might hear me ; and, knowing himself discovered, would certainly rush up and murder us three defenceless women. No; I could not venture outside that door which the burglar had closed behind him. Yet how could I let Deborah sleep on with robbery and death so near her? or how could I leave the ruffian to help himself to all the valuables the house contained ? Even while I thought no plan was open to me, I had unconsciously determined what to do. I was even then groping for my dressing- gown : white though it was, I could only find it by feeling. My slip- pers I dare not put on for fear of a sound betraying me. As cautiously as the thief had done, though far less skilfully, I crept step by step along the carpet. I moved the blind as he had moved it, though now it seemed to make a sound which all the terrace could hear; then I climbed to the window-seat and let myself down to the leads below. Yesterday these leads had looked to me close to the window—painfully and objectionally close—now they were so far below that I seemed to be falling down a precipice. And oh ! the sensation in my bare feet when they touched the wet roof. I had no doubt in my mind now as to the course I intended to pur- sue, or the quarter from which help was to be obtained. Mr. Hall himself slept in the back room on the first floor of his own house, and from him I knew I might expect assistance in my need. I had never noticed until now that a kind of low brick wall ran up the leads, separating the houses. I came upon it unexpectedly in my chilly, groping passage, and however much in daylight I mght have hesitated or feared, I climbed it, and went upto Mr. Hall’s window. It would not do to allow myself time for shyness or compunction. I rapped against the glass; I rapped again and again. Of course, the room was all in darkness, but still I fancied I could wake Mr. Hall I remiembered that he told us once how often the cats wakened him, and I remembered, too, that Deborah said gentlemen on newspapers rarely slept. Again and again I knocked. If he had been as sound a sleeper as Ann he must have wakened at such summons, always sup- posing he had been there. So at last the dreary conviction stole upon me that he was not there. Then I felt that I must shriek out aloud m my despair, though I knew it would disturb the burglar and bring him out to me with his drawn knife. Just then a light burst upon me carried by a gentleman who had drawn back from the window on observing the extraordinary spectacle of my figure on the leads. “Miss Lavinia,” said Mr. Hall—he spoke as courteously)asif I had been in the drawing-room at home in my tabby silk and garnet COLAN) 0)(O)(O) SS (C(O) in —_)