For why was this passage
opened to-night?--he had never seen it opened before. And why was
Jacintha lying sentinel at the foot of the stairs?
But this was not all. Now that they were in the room both men became
conscious of another sound besides the ladies' voices--a very peculiar
sound. It also came from behind the screen. They both heard it, and
showed, by the puzzled looks they cast at one another, that neither
could make out what on earth it was. It consisted of a succession of
little rustles, followed by little thumps on the floor.
But what was curious, too, this rustle, thump--rustle, thump--fell
exactly into the time of the music; so that, clearly, either the rustle
thump was being played to the tune, or the tune sung to the rustle
thump.
This last touch of mystery inflamed Edouard's impatience beyond bearing:
he pointed eagerly and merrily to the corner of the screen. Raynal
obeyed, and stepped very slowly and cautiously towards it.
Rustle, thump! rustle, thump! rustle, thump! with the rhythm of
harmonious voices.
Edouard got his head and foot into the room without taking his eye off
Raynal.
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