Monsieur Bardow laid
the bag gently down upon the table.
"Out of the place for your lives!" he commanded in a tone of thunder. I
took Adele's arm, we all rushed for the door. We had barely reached it
before the floor began to heave, the windows to fall in, and a report
like thunder deafened us! We emerged into the street, wrapped in a thick
cloud of curling smoke, with masonry and fragments of furniture falling
all around us. But we emerged safely, though of the Cafe Suisse there was
scarcely left one stone upon another.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
A LAST RESOURCE
From all sides a great crowd gathered, with almost inconceivable
rapidity. We pushed our way through, and gained a side street in safety.
Monsieur Bardow arrested the attention of a four-wheeled cab galloping
towards the scene of the disaster, and motioned us to enter. We all
crowded in, and Monsieur Bardow, who entered last, gave an address
to the driver.
"My friends," he said, as he finally stepped in, "I am afraid that it was
my presence which has brought this disaster upon your cafe.
Pages:
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361