Page:The Surakarta (1913).djvu/305

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THEY SETTLE
285

of one who knows that in a moment a great matter will be decided for him one way or the other. His agitation seemed to increase. He descended to the floor, and turned his light upon and seized from against the wall a stout walking stick, and stepped back upon the chair. He found now that with the end of the stick he could feel along the top of the moulding. As he evidently found nothing, his agitation seemed to increase. Stepping down he moved the chair as far to left of the tapestry as he had at first set it to the right, and got up again, carrying the stick.

He poked with it along the top of the moulding as far as he could reach, but found nothing. Now he moved the chair again to the left and tried again. Then again he moved the chair. Plainly he intended now to go all around the room in this fashion, un-