Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-05
THE MALEFACTOR z.::S::::
BY
E. Phillips Oppenheim,
AUTHOR OF "THE TRAITORS"

You are in his conhdence?"
| i only entered his service this morning.
| he said
How much do you know" she persist "a.
| Imprisonment?
IL have been told the whole story
Aynesworth answered.
Her eyes rested thoughtfully upon his.
! IL seemed as though she were trying to read
IN ms race exactly what he meant by the
whole story
Then" she said. do you think that any
thing but pain and unplea santness can come
or meeting between us?'
Lady Ruth, Aynesworth answered 1T
Il, Is not Tor me to form an opinion. / am Sir
Wingrave eSton's secretary
What Is he going to do?" she asked
Il have no idea" he answered.
rs he going abroad?"
Il know nothing of his plans" Aynes-
back to him.
She looked at him earnestly. Gradually
her face was softening. The frozen look
S was passing s away. The expression was
toward him. Her voice. although II was
raised above a whisper was full of feeling.
Mr.. Aynesworth." she murmured. II am
afraid of Sir Wingrave Seton!"
Aynesworth said nothing.
Il was always a little afraid OF him. she
continued. even In the days when we were
friendly. He was so hard and unforgivlng.
1 know he thinks that he has a grievance
against me. He will have been brooding
about 1t all these years. 1 dare not see
him! Liam terrified"
IF that Is your answer" Aynesworth
said..'I will convey It to him.
Her beautiful eyes were full OF reproach.
Mr.. Aynesworth." she said. in a low
tone. FOR young man you are very I'M
My position" Aynesworth answered.
does not allow me the luxury of consider
ing my personal feelings
She looked hurt.
II forgot" she said, looking for a mo-
ment upon the floor: you have probably
been prejudiced against me. You have heard
eyes suddenly and leaned a little forward in
her chair-"some day. II you will come and
see me when I am alone and we have time
to spare. will tell you the whole truth. I
will tell you exactly what happened! You
shall Judge for yourself!'
Aynesworth bowed.
I'm the meantime?"
Her eyes filled slowly with tears. Aynes-
worth looked away. He was mlserably UNI
comfortable.
you cannot be quite so hard-hearted as
you try to seem. Mr.. Aynesworth,' she SAID
quietly. Il want to ask you a question.
You must answer 1t! You don't know how
much 1t means to me. You are Sir Win
grave Seton's secretary; you have access to
all his papers. Have YOU seen any letters
Of mine? Do you know IL he still has any
in his possession"
my answer to both questions is Mo-"
Aynesworth said a little stiffiy. II only en-
tered the service OF Sir Wingrave Seton this
morning, and know nothing at all. yet.
Of his private affairs. And. Lady Ruth.
you must forgive my reminding you that.
In any case, / could not discuss such mat
tiers with you,' he added.
She looked at him with faint, strange
smile. Afterward. when he tried to do so.
Aynesworth found it impossible to describe
the expression which fitted across her face.
He only knew that 1t left him with the Inn
preston of having received challenge.
"Incorruptible!" she murmured. 'Sfr VIM
There was a lingering sweetness in her
tone which still had hote of mockery in
1t. Her silence left Aynesworth conscious
Of vague sense of uneasiness. He felt
that her eyes were raised to his, and for
some reason, which he could not translate
even into a definite thought, he wished to
avoid them. The silence was prolonged.
For long afterward he remembered those
few minutes. There was a sort of volcanic
intensity in the atmosphere. He was acute
Iy conscious of small extraneous things. Of
the perfume Of great bowl OF hyacinths.
the ticking of a tiny French clock, the
restless drumming Of her finger tips upon
the arm of her chair. All the time he seemed
actually to feel her eyes, commanding. I'M
polling, beseeching him to turn round. He
did so at last. and looked her full In the
face.
Lady Ruth" he said. will you favor me
with an answer to my message?"
Certainly she answered, smiling quite
naturally. II will come and see Sir Win
grave Seton at four O'Clock tomorrow after
noon You can tell him that l think 1t
rather an extraordinary request, but under
the circumstances / will do as he suggests.
He is staying at the Clarence, I presume.
under his own name? shall have no DIM
Guilty in finding him?''
He is staying there under his own.
name" Aynesworth answered "and will
see that you have no difficulty"
80 kind of YOU" she murmured holding
out her hand. And again there was some
thing mysterious In her eyes as she raised
them to him, as though there existed be-
tween them already some understanding
which Knocked the conventionality of her
words Aynesworth left the house. and lit
a cigarette upon the pavement outside with
a little sigh of relief He felt somehow hu-
inflated Did she fancy, he wondered, that
he was a callow boy to dance to any tune
of her piping-that he had never before seen
a beautiful woman who wanted her own
wayf
ITO be continued next Sunday