and speaking of what i have to tell the world , you need to know about belle . her eyes were closed , as if in pain . `` i like walking around the city in the evening . she went out through the curtains and looked down the steps to check that the front door was closed . at that point , the minister nodded to the two servants who had been waiting off to the side . we 're down here all the time anyway , '' he said , slipping his hand under the hem of my shirt . 