just right!'

Just right for her and her purposes! It threw all its light on my face,
leaving in gloom the faces of both Pierre and the woman, who sat outside
of me on each side.

I felt that the time of action was approaching, but I knew now that the
first signal and movement would come from the woman, and so watched her.

I was all unarmed, but I had made up my mind what to do. At the first
movement I would seize the butcher's axe in the right-hand corner and
fight my way out. At least, I would die hard. I stole a glance round to
fix its exact locality so that I could not fail to seize it at the first
effort, for then, if ever, time and accuracy would be precious.

Good God! It was gone! All the horror of the situation burst upon me;
but the bitterest thought of all was that if the issue of the terrible
position should be against me Alice would infallibly suffer. Either she
would believe me false--and any lover, or any one who has ever been one,
can imagine the bitterness of the thought--or else she would go on
loving long after I had been lost to her and to the world, so that her
life would be broken and embittered, shattered with disappointment and
despair. The very magnitude of the pain braced me up and nerved me to
bear the dread scrutiny of the plotters.

I think I did not betray myself. The old woman was watching me as a cat
does a mouse; she had her right hand hidden in the folds of her gown,
clutching, I knew, that long, cruel-looking dagger. Had she seen any
disappointment in my face she would, I felt, have known that the moment
had come, and would have sprung on me like a tigress, certain of taking