Without a second's hesitation he slipped behind them
and found himself in the recess of a shallow bow window.
The bow window was in three parts and the central part was open
wide at the bottom. It gave on a little balcony which was in
reality the roof of a bow window of one of the rooms on the floor
below. Desmond promptly scrambled out of the window and letting
himself drop on to the balcony crouched down blow the sill.
A door opened in the room he had just left. He heard steps moving
about and cupboards opened and shut. Then, there was the sound of
curtains being drawn back and a voice said just above him:
"He's not here! I tell you the fellow's not in the house! Now
perhaps you'll believe me!"
The balcony was fairly deep and it was growing dusk; but Desmond
could scarcely hope to escape detection if Bellward, for he had
recognized his voice, should think of leaning out of the window
and looking down upon the balcony. With his coat collar turned up
to hide the treacherous white of his linen, Desmond pressed
himself as close as possible against the side of the house and
waited for the joyful cry that would proclaim that he had been
discovered. There was no possible means of escape; for the
balcony stood at an angle of the house with no windows or
water-pipes anywhere within reach, to give him a foothold,
looking out on an inhospitable and gloomy area.
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