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There was a kind of subdued excitement in the upper front rooms of Henry Rayne's house to-night. It had been decided to go to the Bellemare's, and all this extra confusion was only about the toilets. Nanette was showering ejaculations of the profoundest admiration on Honor, who, robed in black satin, stood before a tall mirror adjusting her skirt.
I opened it in astonishment to find the gray-headed old millionaire in his pajamas. "I've been robbed!" he gasped. "I can't wake the conductor. He's been drugged, I believe! What number is Mr. Rayne's compartment?" "Number four," I answered. "But what has been taken?" I asked. "Bonds that I was taking to my agent in Marseilles over sixty thousand pounds' worth!
So, to cut a long story short, I met the mysterious Italian crook next day and I fell, for I took the master-key and agreed to attempt the theft of Lady Lydbrook's pearls! I now saw through Rayne's devilish plot. I was to be used still further as his cat's-paw, and he had planned that because of my friendship with the pretty young woman, at his orders I was to steal her property.
Often in the long calm days of the home-voyage, and oftener still in the night-watches, I pondered in my heart the items of Mrs. Rayne's history, and pieced them together like bits of mosaic the gray eyes and the gray dress, the identity of name, the indefinite terrors of her sea-voyage, the little touch concerning Lancelot and Guinevere, her emotion when I mentioned the Sapphire.
Rayne's face and said. "Your first act, dear guardian, was one of unsolicited kindness. What will after years bring, when we have learned to respect and love you, and do you good turns as well? The future seems so bright, now that Nanette is coming, for," she explained "you must know, Mr.
Rayne's house by Honor's side thrown sleepily on some rustic bench beside her, with his well-flavored cigar between his handsome lips, and the dreamiest sort of love looks floating between his half-closed, deeply-fringed lids, muttering half audibly those thrilling little nothings that seem so consistent with pretty ears, and a half-averted, blushing face in the autumn twilight.
"For Mr. Rayne's sake we must certainly be friends," then feeling a little more at home with her visitor, she continued, "As no one comes in here unannounced, I ventured to attempt a little disguise this afternoon.
If any man ever looked thoroughly disgusted with himself in his life, Guy Elersley surely did, on this eventful morning, as he sauntered along from his boarding-house to Mr. Rayne's.
I hope we will all be an agreeable and sociable family yet, and now, if I don't want to be caught, I had better be off at once," saying which, Henry Rayne's handsome nephew shook himself out of comfort's wrinkles, lighted his cheroot, put on his becoming hat, bade his uncle a temporary "good bye," and departed.
Just now, it is not your sake nor mine it is Henry Rayne's." The door opened slowly and the croaky voice of the old male servant broke upon her reverie. "Beg pardon Miss, but dinner is served." Heroically she stowed away her emotions, the old pleasant smile stole back into its home, and with a beaming face and cheerful step she passed into the dining-room.
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