Stern flung his shoulder against the door. Creaking, it swung. He staggered through. One hand groped out to steady him, against the wall. From the other the ax dropped crashing to the floor.
Only a second he stood thus, swaying; then he turned and gathered Beta in his arms. And on his breast she hid her face, from which the roses all had faded quite.
He felt her fighting back the tears, and raised her head and kissed her.
"There, there!" he soothed. "It wasn't anything, after all, you see. But--if we hadn't brought the ax with us--"
"Oh, Allan, let's go now! This crypt--I can't--"
"We will go very soon. But there's no danger now, darling. We're not children, you know. We've still got work to do. We'll go soon; but first, those records!"
"Oh, how can you, after--after what might have been?"
He found the strength to smile.
"I know," he answered, "but it didn't happen, after all. A miss is worth a million miles, dear. That's what life seems to mean to us, and has meant ever since we woke in the tower, peril and risk, labor and toil--and victory! Come, come, let's get to work again, for there's so endlessly much to do."
Calmer grown, the girl found new courage in his eyes and in his strong embrace.
"You're right, Allan. I was a little fool to--"
He stopped her self-reproach with kisses, then picked up the torch from the floor where it had fallen from her nerveless hand.
"If you prefer," he offered. "I'll take you back into the sunlight, and you can sit under the trees and watch the river, while I--"
"Where you are, there am I! Come on, Allan; let's get it over with. Oh, what a coward you must think me!"
"I think you're a woman, and the bravest that ever lived!" he exclaimed vehemently. "Who but you could ever have gone through with me all that has happened? Who could be my mate and face the future as you're doing? Oh, if you only understood my estimate of you!
"But now let's get at those records again. Time's passing, and there must be still no end of things to do!"
He recovered his ax, and with another blow demolished the last fragment of the staple, so that by no possibility could the door catch again.
Then for the second time they penetrated the crypt and the tunnel and once more reached the alcove of the records.
"Beatrice!"
"What is it, Allan?"
"Look! Gone--all gone!"
"Gone? Why, what do you mean? They're--"
"Gone, I tell you! My God! Just a mass of rubbish, powder, dust--"