Part 33 (2/2)
The Duke was silent, then answered quietly:
”I should never ask a question--not if itthat I feared or suspected I don't think I should ever seek to find out so she didn't want arding his own intentions, sar ”Well?” he helped
”I went over to France,” said the Duke--”and I suppose you'll scarcely believe a man who you say is not a lover to be capable of such sentiht of o in, to see her possibly get into a carriage; and how did I know that it would not be with another man?”
”How did you find out that she had left?”
”I asked for her at her hotel”
”The first question, then,” Jimmy smiled
”A fair one?”
”Oh, perfectly”
”I was told that the duchess had left Paris months before”
”And then?” the other man's voice was placid as he spoke for the Duke
”Then you went to her bankers, her bakers and candlestick makers; in short, you asked all over the place, didn't you?”
The Duke swore gently ”Well, ould you have a man do?”
”Why I would have him do that,” nodded Jimmy, ”by all means Any man would have done so”
In the half second of interval whilst the Duke was obliged to s his friend's sarcasm, Bulstrode had tiue Its fetters are all about me and I am wretchedly bound by honor not to do the si”
Then he asked boldly: ”Well, what do you think about it, Westboro'?”
”Think?” Westboro' repeated, ”why, that she has deliberately escaped from me, put herself out of any possible reach; she doesn't want a reconciliation and she has gone away She one away alone and she may not, that I don't know, and I don't believe I want to know”
”Oh, you'll find her” It ith the htful security and contentment that his friend was able to tell the Duke this But the cheerful note struck the poor husband the disagreeablest of blows
”Gad!” he laughed, ”what a cold brand of creature a bachelor is! 'Find her!' as onean umbrella that you've left by mistake at your club Of course she can be found There are not many mysteries that search can't solve in these days And duchesses don't drop off the face of the earth I could no doubt have found her in twenty-four hours, but I didn't try to I don't know that I want to find her It isn't the fact of where she's gone that counts--that she wanted to go--that she has voluntarily made the separation final and complete”
”Then,” persisted the bachelor, ”you don't really _want_ to find her?”
”Jove!” the Duke turned on hiot soination--try to use it, can't you? Can't you?”
He met the American's handsome eyes A flush rose under Bulstrode's cheek Westboro' put his hand on his friend's shoulder ”I beg your pardon, dear old chap”