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It was a very pretty pose. "I may be very stupid, Armand," she said, "but, I cannot understand why, if my presence in Dornlitz is so annoying to you, you prevent me leaving it." I smiled. "At last," said I, "we are coming to the point." "As though you hadn't guessed it from the first," she laughed. "Unfortunately, I have not Mrs. Spencer's keenness of intuition," I returned.
The movements of Madeline Spencer had been very difficult to trace, as was entirely natural for what hotel servant would remember, weeks after, the doings of a woman guest, whose life had been at all regular. All that could be ascertained, definitely, was that she had sailed from New York ten days prior to her arrival at Dornlitz; and that she had registered as Mrs.
She glanced over at my desk. "The Governor of Dornlitz needs none. Official reports are better than intuition." "But not so rapid," I replied. She smiled. "I was looking at the telephone," she said dryly. "An admirable medium for unpleasant conversations," I observed. "Particularly, between husband and wife, you mean." I answered with a shrug.
I waved my hand toward the ball room. "I hope I am neither cruel nor indiscreet," she said, rather curtly. "But there are many royal guests come to Dornlitz," I ventured. She shrugged her shoulders. "They all bore me." "Which only makes them the better material to practice on." "Surely, I am very innocent," she said. "I thought at least a bit of sentiment was required."
I did not know the hand-writing; but, then, Lady Helen Radnor's was the only one in all Dornlitz I could have known. "Here," said I to Courtney, "is a letter marked 'Personal and Important'; what is it; an invitation to contribute to the professionally destitute?" "More likely an invitation to some gambling den." I tossed it over. "Take a look at it and guess again," I said.
What he did not know, however, but had been manoeuvring to discover, was how far I was known at the Court of Valeria. Well, he was welcome to what he had got. Now, as a matter of fact, it was quite likely that the Dalbergs of Dornlitz had totally forgotten the Dalbergs of America.
He closed his eyes, a moment; lest, I suppose, his amused contempt would shine out so plainly that even stupid I would see it. He was sure, now, he had been right in deeming me too heavy-witted to suspect him. "It might be blackmail," he suggested. "Then, she is a very long time in naming her price," I replied. "True; but, maybe, she is enjoying Dornlitz," he laughed. I laughed, too.
"True! It's always the people that make the place," she laughed. "Then you like Dornlitz as well as Washington?" "Yes, lately." "If I were at all conceited I would guess that 'lately' meant " "Yes?" she asked. "But as I'm not conceited I won't guess." "I'm afraid it's not quite the same, then, as in Washington!" I made no reply.
There seemed to be nothing but to cultivate patience and settle down to wait for someone to blunder, or for the lady to get tired of her enforced residence in Dornlitz, and begin to get restless, and do something which would give us a clue to work on.
"Then, it will be the Hotel Metzen and, of course, the bill will be sent to you." "Oh, no, it won't," I answered. "Surely!" she exclaimed, "you can't intend to hold me prisoner, and, then, oblige me to provide my own subsistence." "Your subsistence, Mrs. Spencer, is not my affair," I said, "since the length of your enforced detention in Dornlitz is optional with yourself." "You mean?"
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