Yet, more than all was I sick at heart at the dreadful
task before me. My spirit was bleeding from every stab that this girl
had dealt me; yet I had to confess that her outburst of rage had
challenged my admiration even more than her brightness in the hour that
had gone before. How could I go through with my work? How could I bear
to overwhelm her with the sorrow and disgrace that must crush on her if
I proved to the world the awful facts that were burned on my brain?
Resolve, shame, despair, fought with each other in the tumult in my
mind as I passed between the bronze lions and took my way down the
street. I was called out of my distractions with a sudden start as
though a bucket of cold water had been thrown over me. I had proceeded
not twenty feet when I saw two dark forms across the street. They had,
it struck me, been waiting for my appearance, for one ran to join the
other and both hastened toward the corner as though to be ready to meet
me.
I could not retreat to the house of the Wolf that loomed forbiddingly
behind me. There was nothing to do but to go forward and trust to my
good fortune, and I shifted my revolver to the side-pocket of my
overcoat as I stepped briskly to the corner. Then I stopped under the
lamp-post to reconnoiter.
The two men who had roused my apprehensions did not offer to cross the
street, but slackened their pace and strolled slowly along on the other
side. I noted that it seemed a long way between street-lamps
thereabouts.
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