CHAPTER XIV

THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS


"You are a dear unreasonable little girl," he said. "Have you breath
enough to tell me why you came down the ladder?"

"When I discovered you were gone, I became wild with fright. Don't you
see, I imagined you were wounded and had fallen from the ledge. What
else could I do but follow, either to help you, or, if that were not
possible--"

He found her hand and pressed it to his lips.

"I humbly crave your pardon," he said. "That explanation is more than
ample. It was I who behaved unreasonably. Of course I should have
warned you. Yet, sweetheart, I ran no risk. The real danger passed a
week ago."

"How can that be?"

"I might have been blown to pieces whilst adjusting the heavy stone in
front of the caps. I assure you I was glad to leave the place that day
with a whole skin. If the stone had wobbled, or slipped, well--it was a
case of determined _felo-de-se_."