天锡小说网

第14部分（第1页）

With　a　word　of　excuse　to　Lady　Tamplin；　he　broke　it　open；　and　an　expression　of　utter　astonishment　came　over　his　face　as　he　read；　then　he　looked　at　his　hostess。

〃This　is　most　extraordinary。　I　say；　Rosalie；　I　am　afraid　I　will　have　to　leave　you。　The　Prefect　of　Police　wants　to　see　me　at　once。　I　cant　think　what　about。〃

〃Your　sins　have　found　you　out；〃　remarked　Lenox。

〃They　must　have；〃　said　Derek；　〃probably　some　idiotic　nonsense；　but　I　suppose　I　shall　have　to　push　off　to　the　Prefecture。　How　dare　the　old　boy　rout　me　out　from　dinner？　It　ought　to　be　something　deadly　serious　to　justify　that；〃　and　he　laughed　as　he　pushed　back　his　chair　and　rose　to　leave　the　room。

Chapter　13

VAN　ALDIN　GETS　A　TELEGRAM

On　the　afternoon　of　the　15th　February　a　thick　yellow　fog　had　settled　down　on　London。

Rufus　Van　Aldin　was　in　his　suite　at　the　Savoy　and　was　making　the　most　of　the　atmospheric　conditions　by　working　double　time。　Knighton　was　overjoyed。　He　had　found　it　difficult　of　late　to　get　his　employer　to　concentrate　on　the　matters　in　hand。　When　he　had　ventured　to　urge　certain　courses；　Van　Aldin　had　put　him　off　with　a　curt　word。　But　now　Van　Aldin　seemed　to　be　throwing　himself　into　work　with　redoubled　energy；　and　the　secretary　made　the　most　of　his　opportunities。　Always　tactful；　he　plied　the　spur　so　unobtrusively　that　Van　Aldin　never　suspected　it。

Yet　in　the　middle　of　this　absorption　in　business　matters；　one　little　fact　lay　at　the　back　of　Van　Aldins　mind。　A　chance　remark　of　Knightons；　uttered　by　the　secretary　in　all　unconsciousness；　had　given　rise　to　it。　It　now　festered　unseen；　gradually　reaching　further　and　further　forward　into　Van　Aldins　consciousness；　until　at　last；　in　spite　of　himself　he　had　to　yield　to　its　insistence。

He　listened　to　what　Knighton　was　saying　with　his　usual　air　of　keen　attention；　but　in　reality　not　one　word　of　it　perated　his　mind。　He　nodded　automatically；　however；　and　the　secretary　turned　to　some　other　paper。

As　he　was　sorting　them　out；　his　employer　spoke：

〃Do　you　mind　telling　me　that　over　again；　Knighton？〃

For　a　moment　Knighton　was　at　a　loss。

〃You　mean　about　this；　sir？〃　He　held　up　a　closely　written　pany　report。

〃No；　no；〃　said　Van　Aldin；　〃what　you　told　me　about　seeing　Ruths　maid　in　Paris　last　night。　I　cant　make　it　out。　You　must　have　been　mistaken。〃

〃I　cant　have　been　mistaken；　sir；　I　actually　spoke　to　her。〃

〃Well；　tell　me　the　whole　thing　again。〃

Knighton　plied。

〃I　had　fixed　up　the　deal　with　Barthermers；〃　he　explained；　〃and　had　gone　back　to　the　Ritz　to　pick　up　my　traps　preparatory　to　having　dinner　and　catching　the　nine　oclock　train　from　the　Gare　du　Nord。　At　the　reception　desk　I　sars　Ketterings　maid。　I　went　up　to　her　and　asked　if　Mrs　Kettering　was　staying　there。〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Van　Aldin。　〃Of　course。　Naturally。　And　she　told　you　that　Ruth　had　gone　on　to　the　Riviera　and　had　sent　her　to　the　Ritz　to　await　further　orders　there？〃

〃Exactly　that；　sir。〃

〃It　is　very　odd；〃　said　Van　Aldin。　〃Very　odd；　indeed；　unless　the　woman　had　been　impertinent　or　something　of　that　kind。〃

〃In　that　case；〃　objected　Knighton；　〃surely　Mrs　Kettering　would　have　paid　her　down　a　sum　of　money；　and　told　her　to　go　back　to　England。　She　would　hardly　have　sent　her　to　the　Ritz。〃

〃No；〃　muttered　the　millionaire；　〃thats　true。〃

He　was　about　to　say　something　further；　but　checked　himself。　He　was　fond　of　Knighton　and　liked　and　trusted　him；　but　he　could　hardly　discuss　his　daughters　private　affairs　with　his　secretary。　He　had　already　felt　hurt　by　Ruths　lack　of　frankness；　and　this　chance　revelation　which　had　e　to　him　did　nothing　to　allay　his　misgivings。

Why　had　Ruth　got　rid　of　her　maid　in　Paris？　What　possible　object　or　motive　could　she　have　had　in　so　doing？

He　reflected　for　a　moment　or　two　on　the　curious　bination　of　chance。　How　should　it　have　occurred　to　Ruth；　except　as　the　wildest　coincidence；　that　the　first　person　that　the　maid　should　run　across　in　Paris　should　be　her　fathers　secretary？　Ah；　but　that　was　the　way　things　happened。　That　was　the　way　things　got　found　out。

He　winced　at　the　last　phrase；　it　had　arisen　with　plete　naturalness　to　his　mind。　Was　there　then　something　to　be　found　out？　He　hated　to　put　this　question　to　himself；　he　had　no　doubt　of　the　answer。　The　answer　was　…　he　was　sure　of　it　…　Armand　de　la　Roche。

It　was　bitter　to　Van　Aldin　that　a　daughter　of　his　should　be　gulled　by　such　a　man；　yet　he　was　forced　to　admit　that　she　was　in　good　pany　…　that　other　well…bred　and　intelligent　women　had　succumbed　just　as　easily　to　the　Counts　fascination。　Men　saw　through　him；　women　did　not。

He　sought　now　for　a　phrase　that　would　allay　any　suspicion　that　his　secretary　might　have　felt。

〃Ruth　is　always　changing　her　mind　about　things　at　a　moments　notice；〃　he　remarked；　and　then　he　added　in　a　would…be　careless　tone；　〃The　maid　didnt　give　any　…　er　…　reason　for　this　change　of　plan？〃

Knighton　was　careful　to　make　his　voice　as　natural　as　possible　as　he　replied：

〃She　said；　sir；　that　Mrs　Kettering　had　met　a　friend　unexpectedly。〃