"It will be so delightful to see their faces at first sight of you. O
colonel, for my sake! Don't spoil it by going tamely in at the front
door, after coming at night from Egypt for half an hour."
Raynal grumbled something about its being a childish trick; but to
please Edouard consented at last; only stipulated for a light: "or
else," said he, "we shall surprise ourselves instead with a broken neck,
going over ground we don't know to surprise the natives--our skirmishers
got nicked that way now and then in Egypt."
"Yes, colonel, I will go first with Jacintha's candle." Edouard mounted
the stairs on tiptoe. Raynal followed. The solid stone steps did not
prate. The men had mounted a considerable way, when puff a blast of wind
came through a hole, and out went Edouard's candle. He turned sharply
round to Raynal. "Peste!" said he in a vicious whisper. But the other
laid his hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Look to the front." He
looked, and, his own candle being out, saw a glimmer on ahead. He
crept towards it. It was a taper shooting a feeble light across a small
aperture.
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