When my uncle entered the room, he and his son
both stood so very close to me that his hand was every moment upon the
point of touching my face. I held my breath, and remained motionless
as death.
"You had no interruption from the next room?" said my uncle.
"No," was the brief reply.
"Secure the jewels, Ned; the French harpy must not lay her claws upon
them. You're a steady hand, by G--d; not much blood--eh?"
"Not twenty drops," replied his son, "and those on the quilt."
"I'm glad it's over," whispered my uncle again; "we must lift the--the
_thing_ through the window, and lay the rubbish over it."
They then turned to the bedside, and, winding the bed-clothes round
the body, carried it between them slowly to the window, and exchanging
a few brief words with some one below, they shoved it over the
window-sill, and I heard it fall heavily on the ground underneath.
"I'll take the jewels," said my uncle; "there are two caskets in the
lower drawer."
He proceeded, with an accuracy which, had I been more at ease, would
have furnished me with matter of astonishment, to lay his hand upon
the very spot where my jewels lay; and having possessed himself of
them, he called to his son:--
"Is the rope made fast above?"
"I'm no fool; to be sure it is," replied he.
They then lowered themselves from the window; and I rose lightly and
cautiously, scarcely daring to breathe, from my place of concealment,
and was creeping towards the door, when I heard my uncle's voice, in a
sharp whisper, exclaim, "Get up again; G--d d--n you, you've forgot
to lock the room door"; and I perceived, by the straining of the rope
which hung from above, that the mandate was instantly obeyed.
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