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Updated: May 9, 2025
"If you would please me," said the girl, "you won't insist...." "I don't," he returned ruefully. "But are you quite sure that you're all right now?" "Quite, thank you, dear Mr. Anisty!" With a pretty gesture of conquering impulse she swept her veil aside, and the warm rose-glow of the new-born day tinted her wan young cheeks with color.
Why sully your hands, and not only your hands, imperil your good name, to say nothing of your liberty ?" She drew her hand away quickly, interrupting him with a laugh that rang true as a coin new from the mint, honest and genuine. "And this," she cried, "this from Dan Anisty! Positively, sir, you are delightful! You grow more dangerously original every minute!
At four he found me on this divan, bound and gagged, by courtesy of your friend, Mr. Anisty. Now, when was I with you in Harlem?" "At seven o'clock, to the minute, yeh comes " "Never mind. At ten minutes to seven I took a cab from here to the Primordial Club, where I dined at seven precisely." "And what's more," interposed the cabman eagerly, "I took yer there, sir." "Thank you.
With what consummate skill he had played his hand! Now the pursuit of the Maitland burglar would be abandoned; the news item suppressed at Headquarters. The masquerader ventured a mystical smile at the world in general. One pictured the evening when the infatuated detective should find it convenient to drop in on the exclusive Mr. Maitland.... "Mr. Anisty?"
"Then I'll tell you," Maitland cut in crisply. "If you'll be good enough to listen." And concisely narrated the events of the past twenty-four hours, beginning at the moment when he had discovered Anisty in Maitland Manor. Save that he substituted himself for the man who had escaped from Higgins and eliminated all mention of the grey girl, his statement was exact and convincing.
"What he did, I gather." "Precisely." "And Anisty?" "Once loosed, he knocked Higgins over with the butt of a revolver, jumped out of the window, and vanished. By the time the butler got his senses back, Anisty, presumably, was miles away ... Mr. Maitland!" said Snaith sharply. "Yes?" responded Maitland, elevating his brows, refusing to be startled.
A pale wraith of smoke floated away on the fan-churned air, and Anisty was vaguely conscious of receiving the glowing cigarette from a hand whose sheer perfection was but enhanced by the ripe curves of a rounded forearm.... He inhaled deeply, with satisfaction. Undetected by him, the girl swiftly passed a furtive handkerchief across her lips.
This one, on the contrary, was not: whatever she was or had been, however successful a crackswoman she might be, her cultivation and breeding were as apparent as her beauty; and quite as attractive. A criminal is necessarily first a gambler, a votary of Chance; and the blind goddess had always been very kind to Mr. Anisty. He felt that here again she was favoring him.
The police halted, each where he stood, transfixed. Anisty drew himself up, with a trace of pride in his pose; smiled horribly; put a hand mechanically to his lips.... And died. Hickey caught him as he fell, but Maitland, unheeding, leaped over the body that had in life resembled him so fatally, and entered Bannerman's private office.
Plainly enough the girl believed him to be Anisty.... Well, and why not? Why shouldn't he be Anisty for the time being, if it suited his purpose so to masquerade? It might possibly suit his purpose. He thought his position one uncommonly difficult. Yet, even while these considerations were urging themselves upon him, he knew his eyes appraised her with open admiration and interest.
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