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Then Virginia, looking around, received a little shock. She heard her name spoken across the table, and, looking up, found that she was exactly opposite Mr. Littleson. "How do you do, Miss Longworth?" he said. "I had no idea that we were to be fellow passengers." She was almost too surprised to answer him coherently, but she faltered out something about an unexpected journey.
Weiss cabled me that you had come to terms, and that you were on your way over here to deal with the other matter. It's cost us a few millions to try and get the blind side of you." Phineas Duge smiled very slightly; that is to say, his lips parted, but there was no relaxation of his features. "Littleson," he said, "before we commence to talk, have you seen anything of my niece over here?"
Littleson, also, was of the party, and the ladies having departed, these three, separated only by the German ambassador, who was engaged in an animated conversation with a Russian Grand Duke, found themselves for a minute or two detached from the rest of the party. Littleson took the opportunity to move his chair over until he was able to whisper into Duge's ear. "Any news?" "None!"
Littleson, a few feet off, felt the perspiration breaking out upon his forehead. His breath was coming fast. The slow, crushing words of his partner had worked him into a state of excitement such as he had scarcely believed himself capable of. And Norris Vine, the imperturbable, was obviously impressed. Weiss had spoken almost as a man inspired. To treat his words lightly seemed impossible.
Littleson was a little surprised. He had not imagined that Phineas Duge would ever again remember his niece's existence. "Yes," he answered, "I crossed over with her." "And since then?" "I have seen her once or twice," Littleson answered a little dubiously. "Alone?" Phineas Duge asked. "Not always," Littleson answered.
She left Littleson, who went round to the bar of the hotel and had a big drink. Then he lit a cigarette and returned to his automobile. "Well," he muttered, as he swung round toward the city, "I may as well go back and face the music...!" Weiss' offices were crowded when Littleson returned. There was excitement upon 'Change, clerks were rushing about, telephones were ringing.
"Miss Virginia Longworth," he answered. Weiss and Littleson exchanged quick glances. "Show her in at once," Weiss ordered. "What do you suppose this means?" he asked, turning to Littleson. The young man had no time to reply. Almost immediately Virginia was ushered into the office. She was very pale, and there were dark lines under her eyes.
If I cannot keep the ball rolling here, I can never pull through." "It all depends," Weiss said, "into whose hands that paper has gone. A week's grace is all I want, time enough to fight this thing out with Duge." "Has he been near you?" Littleson asked. "Has he offered any explanation?" Weiss shrugged his shoulders. "None," he answered.
I have got it!" she cried suddenly, her voice rising almost to a hysterical shriek. "I have got it! It is here! See!" She dragged something from the front of her dress a roll of papers, and held them out. She was swaying upon her feet now, and Phineas Duge, his arm around her waist, half led, half carried her to a chair. Littleson, who had darted out of the room, came back with a glass of water.
Mildmay agreed, but his acquiescence was stiff, and a little abrupt. He would have changed the subject, but Littleson was curious. "Can't understand," he said, "what she's doing crossing over here alone. I saw her the first day out. She came and asked me, in fact, to forget that I had ever seen her before. Queer thing, very!" Mildmay deliberately set down his glass.
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