"He is in your room," she said, "loading your revolver. I hope you
will not permit him to go alone to Paradise."
"I'll see about that," I muttered, and hurried up the stairs and down
the hallway to my bedchamber.
He sprang to the door as I entered, giving me both hands in boyish
greeting, saying how delighted they all were to know that my injury
had proved so slight.
"That balloon robbery worried me," he continued. "I knew that Speed
depended on his balloon for a living; so as soon as we entered Lorient
I went to our consul, and he and I made such a row that the governor
of Lorient gave me an order for the balloon. Here it is, Mr.
Scarlett."
His heightened color and excitement, his nervous impetuosity, were not
characteristic of this quiet and rather indifferent young countryman
of mine.