Part 31 (1/2)

Of a sudden I see Dupont. He is crossing the street toward this house.

He does not know me, but quickens his pace, and hastily lets himself in at the service entrance.... Incidentally, if I were you, Liane, I would give my staff of servants a bad quarter of an hour in the morning. The door and gate were not locked; I am sure Dupont used no key. Some person of this establishment was careless or--worse.”

”Trust me to look into that.”

”Enfin! in his haste, Dupont leaves the door as he found it. I take a moment's thought; it is plain he is here for no good purpose. I follow him in... The state of this room tells the rest.”

”It is no matter.” The woman reviewed the ruins of her boudoir with an apathetic glance which was, however, anything but apathetic when she turned it back to Lanyard's face. Bending forward, she closed a hand upon his arm. Emotion troubled her accents. ”My friend, my dear friend: tell me what I can do to repay you?”

”Help me,” said Lanyard simply, holding her eyes.

”How is that--help you?”

”To make my honour clear.” Speaking rapidly and with unfeigned feeling, he threw himself upon her generosity: ”You know I am no more what I was once, in this Paris--when you first knew me. You know I have given up all that. For years I have fought an uphill fight to live down that evil fame in which I once rejoiced. Now I stand accused of two crimes.”

”Two!”

”Two in one, I hardly know which is the greater: that of stealing, or that of violating the hospitality and confidence of those good ladies of the Chateau de Montalais. I cannot rest while they think me guilty... and not they alone, but all my friends, and I have made good friends, in France and England. So, if you think you owe me anything, Liane, help me to find and restore the Montalais jewels.”

Liane Delorme sat back, her hand lifted from his arm and fell with a helpless gesture. Her eyes mirrored no more guile than a child's. Yet her accent was that of one who remonstrates, but with forbearance, against unreasonable demands.

”How can I do that?”

And she had protested her grat.i.tude to him! He knew that she was lying.

Anger welled in Lanyard's heart, but he was able to hold it in leash and let no sign of it show in manner or expression.

”You have much influence,” he suggested, ”here in Paris, with people of many cla.s.ses. A word from you here, a question there, pressure exerted in certain quarters, will help me more than all the powers of Prefecture and Surete combined. You know that.”

”Let me think.” She was staring at the floor. ”You must give me time.

I will do what I can, I promise you that. Perhaps”--she met his gaze again, but he saw something crafty in her smile--”I have a scheme already in mind. We will discuss that in the morning, when I have slept on it.”

”You give me new hope.” Lanyard finished his drink and made as if to rise, but relapsed, a spasm of pain knotting his face. ”Afraid I must have a cab,” he said in a low voice. ”And if you could lend me a coat of some sort to cover these rags....”

And indeed his ready-made evening clothes had fared badly in their first social adventure.

”But if you think I dream of letting you leave this house--in pain and perhaps to run into the arms of the police--you little know me, Monsieur Michael Lanyard!”

”Paul Martin, if you don't mind.”

”The guest rooms are there.” She waved a hand to indicate the front part of the house on that floor. ”You will find everything you need to make you comfortable for to-night, and in the morning I will send to the Chatham for your things.... Or perhaps it would be wiser to wait till we are sure the police are not watching there for your return. But if they are, it will be a simple matter to find suitable clothing for you. Meanwhile we will have arrived at an understanding.... You comprehend, monsieur, I am resolved, this affair is now arranged?”

”I am well content, Liane.”

And that was true enough; whatever she had in mind for him, she was only playing into his hands when she proposed to keep him near her. He managed to get out of the chair, and accepted the offer of her arm, but held back for a moment.

”But your servants...”

”Well, monsieur, what of them?”