United States or Uruguay ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"I am going to finish what I have to say," he went on. "I know that every one will wish me to. We are all here to look for the truth and nothing else, and, thanks to Miss Abbeway, we have stumbled upon it. These peace proposals, which look so well on paper, are a decoy. They were made to be broken. Those signatures are affixed to be repudiated.
It has been suggested, Miss Abbeway, by one or two of the more influential delegates, suggested, too, by a vast number of letters and telegrams which have poured in upon us during the last few days, that I should be elected to this vacant post." "You?" she exclaimed, a little blankly. "Can you think of a more suitable person?" he asked, with a faint note of truculence in his tone.
"Tell me what you know?" "Singularly little," Mr. Stenson replied. "He left Maltenby with Miss Abbeway the day after their engagement, and, according to the stories which I have heard, arranged to dine with her that night. She came to call for him and found that he had disappeared.
She examined it with a doubtful frown. "But how did this come into your possession?" she asked. He smiled at her in superior fashion. "By asking for it," he replied bluntly. "And between you and me, Miss Abbeway, there isn't much we might ask for that they'd care to refuse us just now." "But the police have already searched Mr. Orden's rooms," she reminded him.
"Telephone to 1884 Westminster. Say that you are speaking for Miss Abbeway, and ask Mr. Furley, Mr. Cross, or whoever is there, to come at once to this address." "Look here, there's no sense in that," Fenn interrupted. "Will you do as I ask, please, Robert?" she persisted. The man bowed and left the room. Fenn strode sulkily back to the desk. "Very well, then," he conceded, "I give in.
"She lived in Russia for some years, it seems," Julian continued. "Her mother was Russian a great writer on social subjects." Furley nodded. "Miss Abbeway is rather that way herself," he remarked. "I've heard her lecture in the East End. She has got hold of the woman's side of the Labour question as well as any one I ever came across."
"Miss Abbeway," he said, "I beg to present to you Colonel Henderson. An unfortunate occurrence took place here last night, which it has become the duty of er Colonel Henderson to clear up. He wishes to ask you a question concerning er a motor-car." Colonel Henderson frowned. He stepped a little forward with the air of wishing to exclude the Earl from further speech.
"He may find his memory somewhat affected temporarily. He ought to be able to find his way home, though. If not, I suppose you'll hear of him through the police courts or a hospital. Nothing that we have done," he added, after a moment's pause, "is likely to affect his health permanently in the slightest degree." "You now know all that there is to be known, Miss Abbeway," Fenn said.
Even after she had left the room, the atmosphere which she had created seemed to linger behind her. "I have never rightly understood Miss Abbeway," the Bishop declared. "She is a most extraordinarily brilliant young woman." Lord Shervinton assented. "To-night you have Catherine Abbeway," he expounded, "as she might have been but for these queer, alternating crazes of hers art and socialism.
Catherine was accosted by a man at whom Julian glanced for a moment in surprise, a man whose dress and bearing, confident though it was, clearly indicated some other status in life. He glanced at Julian with displeasure, a displeasure which seemed to have something of jealousy in its composition. Then he grasped Catherine warmly by the hand. "Welcome back to London, Miss Abbeway! Your news?"