She handed me a sealed envelope, again met my eyes
with one of her dazzling glances, and hurried away.
She had gone no more than ten or twelve yards, and I still was
standing bewildered, watching her graceful, retreating figure,
when she turned abruptly and came back.

Without looking directly at me, but alternately glancing towards a distant
corner of the square and towards the house of Major-General Platt-Houston,
she made the following extraordinary request:

"If you would do me a very great service, for which I always would
be grateful,"--she glanced at me with passionate intentness--"when you
have given my message to the proper person, leave him and do not go
near him any more to-night!"

Before I could find words to reply she gathered up her cloak and ran.
Before I could determine whether or not to follow her (for her words
had aroused anew all my worst suspicions) she had disappeared!
I heard the whir of a restarted motor at no great distance, and,
in the instant that Nayland Smith came running down the steps,
I knew that I had nodded at my post.

"Smith!" I cried as he joined me, "tell me what we must do!"
And rapidly I acquainted him with the incident.

My friend looked very grave; then a grim smile crept round his lips.

"She was a big card to play," he said; "but he did not know that I
held one to beat it."