United States or Vietnam ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The detective, who had been regarding the priest with steady and glittering eyes, opened his clenched mouth and said sharply: "You seem to know a lot about him, Father Brown." "I do," said the little man simply. "I've been about with him for some weeks. He was thinking of joining our church." The star of the fanatic sprang into Valentin's eyes; he strode towards the priest with clenched hands.
He saw the whole city as one ugly energy, from the sanguinary sketch lying on Valentin's table up to where, above a mountain and forest of gargoyles, the great devil grins on Notre Dame. The library was long, low, and dark; what light entered it shot from under low blinds and had still some of the ruddy tinge of morning.
He lapsed again into silence, and Newman sat watching him. "Do you understand?" he began again, presently. "At Fleurieres. You can find out. Mrs. Bread knows. Tell her I begged you to ask her. Then tell them that, and see. It may help you. If not, tell, every one. It will it will" here Valentin's voice sank to the feeblest murmur "it will avenge you!" The words died away in a long, soft groan.
I accepted another of Mr. de Valentin's excellent cigarettes, and composed myself once more to listen. "I am going to Lenox," he continued, "to meet there a few American friends, with whom I have certain affairs of importance to discuss. You, also, have been invited to Lenox. My request is that you defer your visit there until after my departure." I raised my eyebrows at this.
I could scarcely keep from smiling, but she was terribly in earnest. "I want to know exactly," she said, "what you think of it all. I know my husband has been making fun of it. He does not understand. He never will." "Mr. de Valentin's scheme is a good one," I said slowly, "but he has not told us everything. If you want my opinion " "Of course I do," she declared.
Van Reinberg, and, in a lesser degree, her daughters; and the undoubted reserve with which Adele seemed to protect herself from Mr. de Valentin's attentions. When at last they rose and left the saloon, I quickly followed their example. I put on an ulster, lit a cigar, and went up on deck.
He listened in silence to Valentin's account of what had passed between him and the gentleman whose card he had in his pocket M. Stanislas Kapp, of Strasbourg after his return to Mademoiselle Nioche's box. This hospitable young lady had espied an acquaintance on the other side of the house, and had expressed her displeasure at his not having the civility to come and pay her a visit.
The idea of letting Valentin, on his death-bed, confide him an "immense secret" shocked him, for the moment, and made him draw back. It seemed an illicit way of arriving at information, and even had a vague analogy with listening at a key-hole. Then, suddenly, the thought of "forcing" Madame de Bellegarde and her son became attractive, and Newman bent his head closer to Valentin's lips.
"Ah, you don't approve?" questioned his conductor, with curious urbanity. "Approve?" cried Newman. "I wish that when I had him there, night before last, I had locked him up in my cabinet de toilette!" Valentin's late second opened his eyes, and shook his head up and down two or three times, gravely, with a little flute-like whistle.
We were scarcely out of hearing, before I heard Mr. de Valentin's cold but angry voice. "My dear Madame, do you consider that invitation of yours a prudent one? ..." We walked on the other side of the deck. Adele was silent for several moments. Then she turned towards me, and the old smile was upon her lips the smile which had always half fascinated, half irritated me.