The Hound of the Baskervilles Part 21 (2/2)
Lyons upon the evening before, for Dr Mortimer remained with him at cards until it was very late At breakfast, however, I informed him about my discovery and asked him whether he would care to accoer to cohts it seeht be better The ht obtain I left Sir Henry behind, therefore, not without sos of conscience, and drove off upon my new quest
When I reached Coombe Tracey I told Perkins to put up the horses, and I ate I had no difficulty in finding her rooms, which were central and well appointed
A maid showed -rooton typewriter, sprang up with a pleasant smile of welcoer, and she sat down again and asked me the object of my visit
The first impression left by Mrs Lyons was one of extreme beauty Her eyes and hair were of the sah considerably freckled, were flushed with the exquisite bloom of the brunette, the dainty pink which lurks at the heart of the sulphur rose
Admiration was, I repeat, the first i subtly wrong with the face, some coarseness of expression, some hardness, perhaps, of eye, some looseness of lip which marred its perfect beauty But these, of course, are afterthoughts At the moment I was simply conscious that I was in the presence of a very handso me the reasons for my visit I had not quite understood until that instant how delicate myyour father”
It was a clumsy introduction, and the ladyin co, and his friends are not mine If it were not for the late Sir Charles Baskerville and soht have starved for all that my father cared”
”It was about the late Sir Charles Baskerville that I have come here to see you”
The freckles started out on the lady's face
”What can I tell you about hiers played nervously over the stops of her typewriter
”You knew hireat deal to his kindness If I aely due to the interest which he took in my unhappy situation”
”Did you correspond with hileam in her hazel eyes
”What is the object of these questions?” she asked sharply
”The object is to avoid a public scandal It is better that I should ask them here than that the matter should pass outside our control”
She was silent and her face was still very pale At last she looked up with so reckless and defiant in her manner
”Well, I'll answer,” she said ”What are your questions?”
”Did you correspond with Sir Charles?”
”I certainly wrote to hienerosity”
”Have you the dates of those letters?”
”No”
”Have you ever met him?”
”Yes, once or twice, when he ca ood by stealth”
”But if you saw hih about your affairs to be able to help you, as you say that he has done?”