Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-20
MAXINE DE RENZIE'S PART.
CHAPTER XVII.
Maxine Makes a Bargain.

We looked everywhere. in all possible
places. for the diamond necklace. Raoul
and I. and to him. poor fellow. It's second
loss seemed overwhelming. He did not
see in g!aring scarlet letters always BE-
fore his eyes thes, two words, the
treaty. l did-for my punishment.
He was in happy ignorance still OF that
other loss which II, to whom his honor
should have been sacr.d-had inflicted
upon him, He was satisfied with my
story that through a person employed
By me-a person whose name could not
yet he mentioned, even to him-the neck
lace had been snatched from the thief
who had stolen II. He blamed himself
nnsrcllessIy for thinking little Of the
brocade bag which 1 had given him at
parting for letting all remembrance OF
my words concerning 1t to be put out OF
bis mind by his wicked jealousy" a he
fepentantly called it. For me he had
nothing but praise and gratitude .oT what
I had done for him. He begged me u
forgive him. and his remorse for such a
small thing. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES my
heart
We searched the garden and the whole
street then came back to search the lit
tie drawing room for the second time, in
vain. II did seem that there was witch
craft in II. as | said to RaOul. but at last
! persuaded him to go away and follow
his own track wherever he had been since
/ gave him the bag with the diamonds.
It was just possible, it was so late,
and his way had led him through quiet
streets, that even after all this time the
little brocade bag might be lying where
he had left it-or that some honest police
man on his beat might have picked it up.
Besides. there was the cab in which he
had come part Of the distance to my
pouse. The bag might have fallen on
the floor while he drove. and there were
many honest cabmen in Paris. | reminded
him tryeng to be as cheerful as / could.
SO he left me. And | was deadly tired.
but had no thought of sleep-no wish
for It. When l had unlocked the door of
my boudoir. and found Ivor Dundas
zone. as | had hoped he would be, the
hext hope born in my heart was that he
would by and by CONF back or send-with
news
Hour after hour of deadly suspense
passed on however. and he did not come
or make a4v sign. At = o'clock Marianne.
who had fitted about all night like
restless ghost, made me drink cup of
hot chocolate. and actually put me to
bed. My last words to her were: What
ts the use? l can't sleep. 1t will be
worse to lie and toss in a fever than sit
up"
Yet l did sleep and heavily. She will
always deny it. l know. but I'm sure she
must have slyly slipped sleeping pow
der into the chocolate. / was far too
much occupied with my own thoughts as
/ drank 1t to please her to think whether
or no there was anything at all peculiar
In the taste.
Be that as it may. 1 slept and when 1
walked suddenly. starting out of Il hate
full dream yet scarcely worse than real
tiles. to my horror it was nearly noon.
I was wild with fear lest the wants
in their stupid but well-meant wish not
to disturb me. might have sent imp 1rtant
visitors away. However. when Marianne
came flying In, in answer to my long peal
Of the electric bell. she said that no one
had been. There were letters and one
telegram. and all the morning papers. as
usual after the first night of a new play.
My heart gave a spring at the news
that there was a telegram, for l thought
II might be from Ivor. saying he was on
the track Of the treaty. even if he hadn' t
yet got bold of it. But the message was
from Raoul and he had not found the
brocade bag. He did not put this in so
many words. but sad. II have not found
what was lost or learned anything OF it.
From Jvor there was not a line, and |
thought this cruel. He might have wired
or written ME note, even if there were
nothing definite to say. He might. unless
something had happened to him. There
was that TO think of. and / did think of
II with dread. and a growing pres enti
ment that | had not suffered yet all |
was to suffer. / determined to send a
servant to the Elysee Palace Hotel u in
Quire for him. and dispatched a man I'm
mediately. Meanwhile, as there wa;
nothing TO do. after pretending TO eat
breakfast under the watchful eyes of
Marianne. | pretended also to read the
newspaper notices of the play. But each
sentence went out of my head before I
had begun the next. | knew in the end
only that. according to all the critics.
Maxine de RenZie had '.surpaSs ID her
Self" had been 'astoniShingly great had
done what no woman could do unless
she threw her whole soul into her part. -
How little they knew where Maxine de
Renzie's soul had been last night. And
only God knew where il might be this
night. Out of her body. perhaps-the
one way OF escape from Raoul's hatred
II he had come to know the truth.
or course the inquiry at the hotel was
not for Iv0r DuEdaS. but for the name
he had adopted there. yet when my
servant came back 10 me he had nothing
- tell which was consOling-rather the