These fine gentlemen would never be clients of his,
would never be instrumental in sending any one to him. Why should he put
himself out?
"We've had a letter from Miss Ray this morning," Nevill announced, after
a perfunctory exchange of "good days" in French.
The two young men both looked steadily at the proprietor of the hotel,
as Nevill said these words. The fat man did not show any sign of
embarrassment, however, unless his expectant gaze became somewhat fixed,
in an effort to prevent a blink. If this were so, the change was
practically imperceptible. "She had left here before six o'clock last
evening, hadn't she?"
"I cannot tell you, Monsieur. It is as I answered yesterday. I do not
know the time when she went out."
"You must know what she said when she went."
"On the contrary, Monsieur. The young lady did not speak with me
herself. She sent a message."
"And the message was that she was leaving your hotel?"
"First of all, that she had the intention of dining out. With a lady."
Stephen and Nevill looked at each other. With a lady? Could it be
possible that Mademoiselle Soubise, interested in the story, had called
and taken the girl away?
"What then?" went on Caird. "She let you know eventually that she'd made
up her mind to go altogether?"
"The message was that she might come back in some days. But yes,
Monsieur, she let me know that for the present she was leaving."
"Yet you didn't tell us this when we called!" exclaimed Stephen.
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