The Rome Express by Arthur Griffiths
page 93 of 163 (57%)
page 93 of 163 (57%)
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"That reason--?"
"Was the entrance of the Italian, who came just behind me. I am certain of this; he almost told me so himself, not in words, but the mistakable leer he gave her in reply. It was wicked, sardonic, devilish, and proved beyond doubt that there was some secret, some guilty secret perhaps, between them." "And was that all?" cried both the Judge and M. Floçon in a breath, leaning forward in their eagerness to hear more. "For the moment, yes. But I was made so interested, so suspicious by this, that I watched the Italian closely, awaiting, expecting further developments. They were long in coming; indeed, I am only at the end now." "Explain, pray, as quickly as possible, and in your own words." "It was like this, monsieur. When we were all seated, I looked round, and did not at first see our Italian. At last I discovered he had taken a back seat, through modesty perhaps, or to be out of observation--how was I to know? He sat in the shadow by a door, that, in fact, which leads into this room. He was thus in the background, rather out of the way, but I could see his eyes glittering in that far-off corner, and they were turned in our direction, always fixed upon the lady, you understand. She was next me, the whole time. "Then, as you will remember, monsieur, you called us in one by one, and I, with M. Lafolay, was the first to appear before you. |
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