Part 32 (1/2)
In effect, he didn't arrive at all, but suddenly was there
A car, discharging its passengers before the sentleman could catch the eye of its operator, flew suddenly upward in the echo of a gate slammed shut in his face; and all the other cars were still at the top, according to the bronze arrows of their tell-tale dials The late arrival held up patiently; but after an instant's deliberation, doffed his hat, crushed it flat, slipped out of his voluminous cloak, and beckoned a liveried attendant
In the costuure: ”Satan on the half-shell,” Peter Kenny had christened him
A dress coat of black satin fitted P Sybarite more neatly than him for whom it had beenrubies, and the lace cuffs at his wrists were caught together with rubies--whether real or false, like coals of fire: and ruby was the hue both of his satin mask and his satin small-clothes Buckles of red paste brilliants burned on the insteps of his slender polished shoes with scarlet heels; and his snug black silk stockings set off ankles and calves so well-turned that the Prince of Sin hiht have taken pride in the ember--so true an imitation that at first he himself had hesitated to touch it Literally to crown all, his ruddy hair isted upward from each temple in a cornuted fashi+on that washat and coat to the servitor before the latter could reoing for some time yet”
”Sorry, sir, but the cloak-room down 'ere 's closed, sir You'll have to check them on the ball-rooroping in a pocket, he produced a dollar bill and tendered it to ready fingers; ”you keep 'eo”
”Very good, sir Thank you”
”You won't forget entle like your own”
”There's but one of entleman, sententious: ”my spear knows no brother”
”Thank you, sir,” said the servant civilly,off
With an air of soo
”I say!” he cried suddenly--”come back!”
He was obeyed
A second dollar bill appeared as it were by ers
The flunkey stared
”Beg pardon, sir?”
”Take it”--iers executed their most familiar manoeuvre ”But--entleht”
”Quite so, sir”
”The devil _is_ a gentleman,” the masquerader insisted firo; you've earned the other dollar”
Obsequiousness stared: ”M'y I ask, 'ow so?”