In spite of her amazement she rose as I bade her. We heard feet running along the passage. They would be across the bridge now. Would they stop and fire down the chasm? No, they were coming on. We also went on; a touch of Phroso’s practised fingers opened the door for us; I turned, and in wrath gave the pursuers one more shot. Then I ran up the stairs and shut the door behind us. We were in the hall again--but Phroso and I alone. A hurried story told her all that had happened. Her breath came quick and her cheek flushed. ‘The cowards!’ she said. ‘They dared not attack us when we were all together!’ ‘They will attack us before very long now,’ said I, ‘and we can’t possibly hold the house against them. Why, they may open that trap-door any moment.’ Phroso stepped quickly towards it, and, stooping for a instant, examined it. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘they may. I can’t fasten it. You spoilt the fastening with your pick.’ Hearing this, I stepped close up to the door, reloading my revolver as I went, and I called out, ‘The first man who looks out is a dead man.’ No sound came from below. Either they were too hurt to attempt the attack, or, more probably, they preferred the safer and surer way of surrounding and overwhelming us by numbers from outside. Indeed we were at our last gasp now; I flung myself despondently into a chair; but I kept my finger on my weapon and my eye on the trap-door. ‘They cannot get back--our friends--and we cannot get to them,’ said Phroso. ‘No,’ said I. Her simple statement was terribly true. ‘And we cannot stay here!’ she pursued. ‘They’ll be at us in an hour or two at most, I’ll warrant. Those fellows will carry back the news that we are alone here.’ ‘And if they come?’ she said, fixing her eyes on me. ‘They won’t hurt you, will they?’ ‘I don’t know what Constantine would do; but I don’t think the people will let him hurt me, unless--’ ‘Well, unless what?’ She hesitated, looked at me, looked away again. I believe that my eyes were now guilty of neglecting the trap-door which I ought to have watched. ‘Unless what?’ I said again. But Phroso grew red and did not answer. ‘Unless you’re so foolish as to try to protect me, you mean?’ I asked. ‘Unless you refuse to give them back what Constantine offers to win for them--the island?’ ‘They will not let you have the island,’ she said in a low voice. ‘I dare not face them and tell them it is yours.’ ‘Do you admit it’s mine?’ I asked eagerly. A slow smile dawned on Phroso’s face, and she held out her hand to me. Ah, Denny, my conscience, why were you at the bottom of the chasm? I seized her hand and kissed it. ‘Between friends,’ she said softly, ‘there is no thine nor mine.’ Ah, Denny, where were you? I kissed her hand again--and dropped it like a red-hot coal. ‘But I can’t say that to my islanders,’ said Phroso, smiling.