Part 11 (1/2)

'He wasabout his heart being in the coffin with Caesar; suppose he ht face; but I daren't laugh He was in such deadly earnest”

I cut short these irrelevant comments on Von Eckhardt's verbal peculiarities, hich I was perfectly fa's he here for?”

”Don't know Rather think, fro_--”

”What on earth for?”

”How should I know? I tell you he's as mad as a hatter”

”Wonder where I'd be likely to find hi_ office, if he's left I s out, Medhurst?”

”With his people, I believe; somewhere in Charlotten Strasse or thereabouts I ”

I called a waiter and sent him for a directory There were scores of Von Eckhardts in it, and I decided to go to the _Zeitung_ office, and ascertain his address there

Medhurst volunteered to ith”Thought that handso to stay with theone in that quarter, weren't you, Wynn?”

I ignored this last remark

”How did you know Miss Pendennis had left?” I asked, with assumed carelessness

”Why? Because I ht, to be sure I week-ended there, you know Thought I'd have a private bit of a spree, before I had to be officially on the _Spree_”

He chuckled at the futile pun

”You saw Anne Pendennis at Ostend Are you certain it was she?” I de, and gave racious bows--”

”You didn't speak to her?” I pursued, throwing away the cigarette I had been s My teeth had enuous companion seeh I'd have liked to But--fact is, I--well, of course, I wasn't alone, don't you know; and though she was a jolly little girl--she--I couldn't very well have introduced her to Miss Pendennis

Anyhow, I shouldn't have had the cheek to speak to her; she ith an awfully swagger set Count Loris Solovieff was one of 'eh he prefers to go about incog

to Miss Pendennis Here's the office I won't coht

If I don't, good-bye and good luck; and thanks awfully for the lunch”

I was thankful to be rid of him I dare not question him further I could not trust myself to do so; for his words had summoned that black horde of doubts to the attack once more, and this time they would not be vanquished

Small wonder that I had not found Anne Pendennis at Berlin! What was she doing at Ostend, in coer set” that included a Russian Grand Duke? I had heardthis Loris, whom I had never seen; rumors that were the reverse of discreditable to him He was said to be different from most of his illustrious kinsfolk, inasmuch that he was an enthusiastic disciple of Tolstoy, and had been disrace, on account of his avowed sympathy with the revolutionists

But what connection could he have with Anne Pendennis?