He came to her purring.

She took him up and handed him to me; and then did a thing which moved me strangely and brought home to me keenly the desperate nature of the enterprise on which we were embarked.

One by one, she blew out the candles carefully and placed them back in their usual places.

When she had finished she said to me: "They are done with now.

Whatever comes--life or death--there will be no purpose in their using now." Then taking Silvio into her arms, and pressing him close to her bosom where he purred loudly, we went back to the room.