"Frau Ritter is a heavy sleeper," the other explained with a smile. "You will present my apologies to Madame." "My wife is so weary that even this has not awakened her, but I hope----" "What is it, Tommy?" asked a sleepy voice from the darkness behind him. "To whom are you talking out there?" "Your pardon, madame," said the officer, raising his voice, and doubtless finding a certain piquancy in the situation. "You shall not be disturbed again--I promise it," and he signed for his men to withdraw. "Good-night, sir." "Good-night!" answered Stewart, and shut the door. He was so shaken with mirth that he scarcely heard the outer door close. Then he staggered to the bed and collapsed upon it. "Oh, little comrade!" he gasped. "Little comrade!" and he buried his head in the clothes to choke back the hysterical shouts of laughter which rose in his throat. "Hush! Hush!" she warned him, her hand on his shoulder. "Get your coat and hat. Be quick!" The search for those articles of attire sobered him. He had never before realized how large a small room may become in the dark! His coat he found in one corner; his hat miles away in another. His collar and tie seemed to have disappeared utterly, and he was about to abandon them to their fate, when his hand came into contact with them under the bed. He felt utterly exhausted, and sat on the floor panting for breath. Then somebody stumbled against him. "Where have you been?" her voice demanded impatiently. "What have you been doing?" "I have been around the world," said Stewart. "And I explored it thoroughly." Her hand found his shoulder and shook it violently. "Is this a time for jesting? Come!" Stewart got heavily to his feet. "Really," he protested, "I wasn't jesting----" "Hush!" she cautioned, and suddenly Stewart saw her silhouetted against the window and knew that it was open. Then he saw her peer cautiously out, swing one leg over the sill, and let herself down outside. "Careful!" she whispered. In a moment he was standing beside her in the narrow street. She caught his hand and led him away close in the shadow of the wall. The night air and the movement revived him somewhat, and by a desperate effort of will he managed to walk without stumbling; but he was still deadly tired. He knew that he was suffering from the reaction from the manifold adventures and excitements of the day, more especially the reaction from despair to hope of the last half hour, and he tried his best to shake it off, marveling at the endurance of this slender girl, who had borne so much more than he. She went straight on along the narrow street, close in the shadow of the houses, pausing now and then to listen to some distant sound, and once hastily drawing him deep into the shadow of a doorway as a patrol passed along a cross-street.