Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

116 THE ARGOSY, Without a moment’s hesitancy I threw myself over the rail of the balcony. For an instant I hung, holding on by my hands. One view I had of a white robed figure, standing at the window, silent, her hands clasped as if in prayer. My angel, she was all I saw, and then I let go my hold. CuHaprEerR VIII.—Awn INTRACTABLE PRISONER. THE distance to the pavement was greater than I had supposed, but the force of my fall was unexpectedly broken. There was a sudden exclamation of surprise—a half suppressed cry, and I rolled over on the ground, grappling with a man who had been unlucky enough to be standing under the balcony. What he should be doing there I did not take time to consider. Naturally my first thought was that it was an attempt to prevent my escape. But the man, whoever he was, could not have seen me, or he would not have let me drop on his head, but would have got out of the way. He fell heavily, and lay as one stunnéd. Before he could recover himself I had my hand at his throat, and might have choked the life out of him had I not discovered by his long gown that he was a monk. I released my hold, and he rose, crossing himself and muttering a prayer. “ Who are you?” I demanded. “ And what are you doing herer ” I had begun to suspect that he was there for no good purpose. “ T need not tell you who Iam; you can see by my dress,” he replied, still breathing heavily. “You have no business here.” “It is the public street,” he answered curtly. “ How was I to know that you were to drop upon me? Men who visit houses for any honorable purpose do not let themselves out of second story windows, or drop from balconies,” he added, his voice marked by a sarcastic twang. ‘What is it to you if I choose to leave a house by a window rather than by the door? ” I demanded. “You fell upon me. You nearly killed me. Curses on you for your care- lessness! And curses on you for your impudence!” “You sneaking dog, move off, or I will kill you. I have no patience with such as you. Be off with you, or I'll not answer for what I'll do!” I cried, having hard work to restrain myself from laying hands on him. “You will find that a poor priest has his friends.” “A dead priest has fewer friends,” I said, moving toward him, and pro- voked beyond endurance, for he was blocking the way and evidently trying to detain me. I would not have put my threat into execution, though recalling what Martin had told me the day before I felt that he would make trouble for me inthe end. But he moved away, evidently deeming it best to take no chances with my temper—shuffling off, going a little lame, as I observed. I could hear no noise within the house. The window above had been closed, and what had occurred there I had no way of finding out. But fearing that my visit and escape had been discovered, I hurried along the street and made off in a different direction from that taken by the monk. I had not gone GOH GoOOO ‘SS (GO)