Noiselessly she glided across the room, dragging him after her by the hand. She pulled aside the bed-curtains, without a word pointed to the recess. The bed, built into the wall, was narrow but sure; it smelt sweetly of lavender; the hunted man, his very senses blurred by that overwhelming desire to save his life at any cost, accepted the shelter so innocently offered him. Gathering his long limbs together, he was soon hidden underneath the coverlet. "Gilda!" came more insistently from behind the heavy door. "One moment, father. I was fastening my gown." "Don't trouble to do that. I only wished to say good-night." She pulled the curtains together very carefully in front of the bed: she even took the precaution of taking off her stiff collar and embroidered corslet. Then she lighted one of the candles, and with it in her hand she went to the door. Then she drew back the bolt. "May I not come in?" said Mynheer Beresteyn gaily, for she remained standing on the threshold. "Well no, father!" she replied, "my room is very untidy ... I was just getting into bed...." "Just getting into bed," he retorted with a laugh, "why, child, you have not begun to undress." "I wished to undress in the dark. My head aches terribly ... it must be the spring air ... Good-night, dear." "Good-night, little one!" said Beresteyn, as he kissed his daughter tenderly. "Nicolaes has just come home," he added, "he wanted to see you too." "Ask him to wait till to-morrow then. My head feels heavy. I can scarcely hold it up." "You are not ill, little one?" asked the father anxiously. "No, no ... only oppressed with this first hot breath of spring." "Why is not Maria here to undress you? I'll send her." "Not just now, father. She will come presently. Her chattering wearied me and I sent her away." "Well! good-night again, my girl. God bless you. You will not see Nicolaes?" "Not to-night, father. Tell him I am not well. Good-night." Mynheer Beresteyn went away at last, not before Gilda feared that she must drop or faint under the stress of this nerve-racking situation. Even now when at last she was alone, when once again she was able to close and bolt the door, she could scarcely stand. She leaned against the wall with eyes closed, and heart that beat so furiously and so fast that she thought she must choke. The sound of her father's footsteps died away along the corridor. She heard him opening and shutting a door at the further end of the passage, where there were two or three living rooms and his own sleeping chamber. For awhile now the house was still, so still that she could almost hear those furious heart-beats beneath her gown. Then only did she dare to move. With noiseless steps she crossed the room to that recess in the wall hidden by the gay-flowered cotton curtains. She paused close beside these. "My lord!" she called softly. No answer. "My lord! my father has gone! you are in no danger for the moment!"