She lay calmly gazing at the Southern Cross and other lovely stars shining with vivid but chaste fire in the purple vault of heaven.
While thus employed she heard a slight sound outside that made her turn her eyes toward a young tree near her window.

Its top branches were waving a good deal, though there was not a breath stirring.

This struck her as curious, very curious.
While she wondered, suddenly an arm and a hand came in sight, and after them the whole figure of a man, going up the tree.
Helen sat up now, glaring with terror, and was so paralyzed she did not utter a sound.

About a foot below her window was a lead flat that roofed the bay-window below.

It covered an area of several feet, and the man sprang on to it with perfect ease from the tree.