Seeing me
standing there, some of them turned pale, others grew red with emotion.
Some went by endeavouring to appear not to have seen me; others threw
me appealing glances. Never, by the quiver of a lash, did I show that I
recognised them. I stood and waited--like the Sphinx."
"For what?" inquired the Prince, whose sense of humour had returned to
him.
"For the denouement, Your Highness. I knew that, sooner or later, it
would come. I knew it could not escape me, Tellier--the evidence of
duplicity which I was seeking."
"But," objected the Prince, "what duplicity can there be? If Lord Vernon
is ill--"
"Your Highness will pardon me for interrupting; but much depends upon
that 'if.' If, on the other hand, the illness is only for the moment
assumed--"
"Oh, nonsense!" cried Markeld. "What reason could he have for assuming
illness? That would be childish!"
The Frenchman smiled a self-satisfied smile, as he softly caressed his
imperial, and his little eyes glowed with anticipated triumph.
"Let us deal with the facts first, if Your Highness will permit, and
with reasons afterwards. I was, then, standing by the chair in the
attitude which I have described, when your dog appeared and attacked the
spaniel. As the young lady stooped and picked it up, your dog sprang
against her, frightening her so that she cried aloud.
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