"Dearest," he murmured, "dearest, speak to me!"
His hand sought her swelling bosom gropingly; and his eyes, as
they looked pleadingly even into mine, shot into my heart and
unnerved me.
I rose to my feet, scarcely able to stand, and moved away.
But the fate that had finally intervened for us--too late, alas!
for one--did not leave us long with our dead. Even now I do not
know what happened; at the time I knew even less. Harry told me
afterward that the first shock came at the instant he had taken
Desiree in his arms and pressed his lips to hers.
I had crossed to the other side of the passage and was gazing
back toward the chasm at the Incas on the other side, when again
I felt the ground, absolutely without warning, tremble violently
under my feet. At the same moment there was a low, curious rumble
as of the thundering of distant cannon.
I sprang toward Harry with a cry of alarm, and had crossed about
to the middle of the passage, when a deafening roar smote my ear,
and the entire wall of the cavern appeared to be failing in upon
us. At the same time the ground seemed to sink directly away
beneath my feet with an easy, rocking motion as of a wave of the
ocean.
Pages:
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417