She rushed down the staircase, tore open the garden door, leapt down the stone steps, and ran at full speed straight across the lawn to the lodge.
Whether someone spied her or not she did not care.
The door to his room banged against the wall.
A rank, pungent smell, as in a menagerie, assailed her nostrils.
There he was, sitting at the window. He jumped to his feet. The grey daylight glided over his head.
"He's had his hair cut brush fashion again," thought Lilly. "The dissolute life he's living demands it; the elegance of the dives demands it."
"Good Lord!" he said, crumbling his burning cigarette between his fingers, "a pretty howdy-do!"
"Why--? Why did you--?" she screamed at him. "You're a blackguard! Your word's not to be trusted! You're a liar!"
"Confound it!" he said, and looked about helplessly. "_How_ will my lady get out of this mess?"
"You broke your promise--the most sacred bond uniting us. You--you--threw it away on a barmaid--a barmaid, a creature who would hang herself on anybody's neck for a couple of pennies. You're a vulgar profligate! You're not worth a woman's having tried to save you--you don't _want_ to be saved--you _want_ to go to the bad--"
"All very good and fine," he said, "and probably very saddening and incontrovertible truths; but will my lady please explain how she expects to get out of here?"
"I don't know anything I am more indifferent about," she cried. "I came for you to give me an account of yourself. I am asking you to answer me--immediately--here--now--on the spot."
"Certainly, my lady, I will without fail. But first--damn it! hell! Get away from the window!"
He cast a sharp, all-embracing glance at the castle. Nothing suspicious to be detected at that moment, at least.
Alarmed by his snarling at her in that way, Lilly fled into the interior of the room, which was low, dark, and ill furnished. Here the vile animal smell was still stronger. From where it came was made clear to her the next instant. As she approached the rear wall, something suddenly snapped at her foot, and two little circular torches gleamed up at her wickedly.
"Down, Tommy!" called Von Prell, while Lilly recoiled with an exclamation of fright.
So that was Tommy, the other member of the triple alliance.
