San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-26
CHAPTER XII
AN EVIL PLAN.

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which Beryl had put into his hand his
first struggle was to fight with the sense
of paralyzing establishment which the
girls words had produced.
Then he ransacked every nook and
Granny of his memory to recall what
had passed between them at the time Of
their first interview, while mixed up
curiously with the whole mental effort
was recollection Of his blunder, for
which he cursed himself, in mistaking
this calm, unimpassioned, quiet girl for
a fool.
His first sign of recovery from his
surprise was a laugh, forced, short, un-
natural and sneering, but still an ad-
vance from his silence of blank dismay.
"How do you say you got this, Miss
Leycester?" he asked, waving the paper
toward her and speaking with sneer
on his lip.
''The question is not how got 1t,
but what it MEANS" returned Beryl
coldly.
"On the contrary, it has everything
to do with it. 1t is the most extraor-
binary coincidence I have ever heard
Of"
sis that your answer" And Beryl
looked more stern than before, every
feature speaking her disbelief.
There is nothing to answer in such
thing as this. If you want an answer,
all can say is that either those who
gave you this have imposed upon you
in the most monstrous fashion in the
world, or for some purpose which /
don't pretend to know you are trying
to impose ON me. That Is what mean
when want to know where you got
this extraordinary document. He
laughed again now, as if the charge
were beneath serious notice
"You are recovering from your first
surprise, and in your effort to find time
in which to invent some sort of expla-
nation you make it kind Of implied
charge against me that have been pry-
ing into your secrets. understand you
perfectly and have seen through your
pretenses from the first Please to ap-
preciate that fact in whatever you say"
He looked at her viciously as she
spoke, but he was almost frightened at
the cold, implacable, resolute frankness
Of her gray eyes. He shrugged his shout
ders and lifted his white hands and
smiled till he showed his teeth as he re-
piled in tone of assumed carelessness:
"You are delightful antagonist,
Miss Leyoester, SO fair, so true, so
straight. But tell me, if you have made
up your mind beforehand that have
all sorts of pretenses to be seen through
and that am the villain your looks
imply, what is the use of this converse
tion?"
~ have said nothing about your be-
ing villain, M. Turrian. have asked
you only what that entry in the ST.
Sulpice book means. That is all.
"And in what capacity do you do me
the honor to catechise me? On whose
behalf do you act? In what INTEREST,""
There was no mistaking the palpable
sneer in the question.
"There is no necessity to answer that
question. You are not compelled to an
swer what have asked you unless you
please" He was cunning enough Of
fence to see his advantage and to press
it instantly.
ION the continent, Miss LEICESTER,
we are not accustomed to meet with
lady knights Grant who take up the
cause Of men of the world whom they
imagine to have been i'll used. 1t may
be quite usual in England, of course,
but that is my reason for asking in
whose interest you undertake this en-
ergetic detective work"
His last words stung her, but che
showed no irritation.
1.-THE one question is what that paper
means, she said firmly. "There is nc
other question OF any Importance"
"Well, that is quite my view" Hs
had now recovered his customary i'm
pudent audacity and was beginning Il
enjoy the incident. "And in that view
this paper means that young lady o
excellent family, unblemished char
acter, great mental capacity and man,
personal charms" and he bowed ant
| paused a moment, "who is not married
to Sir Jaffray Walcote, much to the re
greet of that distinguished baronet'
more distinguished mother, has beer
prying into matters which do not con
Germ her at all. except, of course, in s.
far as they relate to that period of he
life when--it was generally understood
she would make that marriage"
"You will do no good by evading tn
question 1 have asked you in the at
tempt-a useless one, assure you-t
irritate me by insults into a forgetful
ness Of it, replied Beryl, seeing tina
he paused to notice what effect hi