I can see her eyes frantic with terror! She'd go mad."
"Good God!" he said, in a voice so low it scarcely audible.
He almost dragged her out of the room, though, as they passed
through the hall, the servants only saw that he had given the
lady his arm-and two of the younger footmen exchanged glances with
each other which referred solely to the inimitableness of the cut
of his evening overcoat.
When they entered the carriage, Barkstow entered with them and
Mademoiselle Valle leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and
her face clutched in her hands. She was trying to shut out from
her mental vision a memory of Robin's eyes.
"If--if Fraulein Hirsch is--not true," she broke out once. "Count
von Hillern is concerned. It has come upon me like a flash. Why
did I not see before?"
The party at the big house, where the red carpet was rolled across
the pavement, was at full height when they drove into the Place.
Their brougham did not stop at the corner but at the end of the
line of waiting carriages.
Coombe got out and looked up and down the thoroughfare.
"It must be done quietly. There must be no scandal," he said. "The
policeman on the beat is an enormous fellow. You will attend to
him, Barkstow," and Barkstow nodded and strolled away.
Coombe walked up the Place and down on the opposite side until he
was within a few yards of the corner house.
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