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Miss Mackwayte shall tell her story, and you can then hear what Lambelet has to say about this versatile young dancer." Without waiting for further permission, he pressed a bell on the desk and presently Matthews ushered in the small man with the Legion of Honor whom Barbara had seen in the ante-room. The Chief introduced the Frenchman and in a few words explained the situation to him.
She let him have his way with a merry smile, dark eyes and white teeth flashing, but as she went she said to Mr. Mackwayte: "My friend, wait for me! Et puis nous causerons! We will 'ave a talk, nest-ce pas?" "A very old friend of mine, my dear," Mr. Mackwayte said to Barbara when, dressed in his street clothes, he rejoined her in the wings where she stood watching Nur-el-Din dancing.
Mackwayte, pushing aside her maid who was waiting with her wrap. "My friend," she cooed in her pretty broken English, "I am so glad, so glad to see you. And this is your girl... ah! she 'as your eyes, Monsieur Arthur, your nice English gray eyes! Such a big girl... ah! but she make me feel old!"
All around them was that curious preoccupied stillness hush of the power-house which makes the false world of the stage so singularly unreal by contrast when watched from the back. The house was packed from floor to ceiling, for the Palaceum's policy of breaking away from revue and going back to Mr. Mackwayte called "straight vaudeville" was triumphantly justifying itself.
Desmond remarked that the detective was sensible of the change too. "Simply because Miss Mackwayte spent some time in the dancer's dressing-room last night, sir," he replied quietly, "she probably sat at her dressing-table and picked up this hair in hers or in her veil or something and it dropped on the bed where one of Master Barney's buckles caught it up."
Mr. Arthur Mackwayte slipped noiselessly into the dining-room and took his place at the table. He always moved quietly, a look of gentle deprecation on his face as much as to say: "Really, you know, I can't help being here: if you will just overlook me this time, by and by you won't notice I'm there at all!"
"Where are you taking me?" the girl said. Mrs. Malplaquet spoke a single word. "Bellward!" she said in a gentle voice; but it was a voice of command. Bellward leaned forward. "Look at me, Miss Mackwayte!" he said. There was a curious insistence in his voice that made Barbara obey.
Why, Barney who used to work with the great Charles, you know, my dear. For years he drew his ten pound a week regular. Yet there he was, looking for a job the same as the rest of us. Poor fellow, he was down on his luck!" Barbara looked up quickly. "Daddy, you lent him money...." Mr. Mackwayte looked extremely uncomfortable.
Therefore, both Strangwise and Nur-el-Din had an interest in detaining Miss Mackwayte, and I think Strangwise forestalled the dancer. When Nur-el-Din discovered it, both Rass and her maid paid the penalty of their betrayal." They walked once up and down the yard before Desmond replied. "Francis," he said, "you remember Nur-el-Din's story I told it to you just as I had it from her."
This unexpected meeting with the daughter of my old friend seemed at the moment like a heaven-sent chance to place the jewel, unknown to him, in safe hands. I felt that as long as I carried it on me, my life was in constant danger. It was only to-day, when I heard of the murder, that it dawned on me how indiscreet I had been. I might have guessed, since Miss Mackwayte knew Mortimer "
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