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No, mademoiselle, not drowned, Hanaud answered.
He stood in the dark, with his
heartpounding noisily in his breast, not daring to move. Ricardos elbow, by a
sigh; andhis blood turned cold as he heard it. Ricardo with a smile and
extended his left hand, whichMr. Whoin a country district would start the
evening at so late an hour?
The Belle Simone had sailed with the inward tideat
six in the morning. For she slipped through his arms and layquite still upon
the floor.
Sheneither turned nor looked in Hanauds direction. Let us not be too
quick to assume that trouble has visited this house,said Hanaud
compassionately.
At what time this morning did you take their coffee toMrs. A
glass of water, Marianne, said Hanaud, straightening his shoulders.
Ricardo was
so startled that he droppedhis box of matches on the floor. Ricardo was
thrilled to his marrow at being made a participator inthis mystery.
But the
defect will grow unless it is verycarefully watched.
I begof you as yet not to
distress yourselves. There is no great harm done to mademoiselle, I think.
They
heard only the rapping repeated, moreinsistently; and again there was no
answer. But I do not think that we shall identify Evelyn Devenish.
Hanaud at
this point received such a glare of reproachfrom Mr.
She turned her back
uponHanaud and the Commissaire Herbesthal.
The young people drifted back into
the room. He screamed, you see, and gasped for air. And he had the satisfaction
of seeing Mr. Twice in one morning you catch me bowing.
He had his own remedies
for this mischance.
I certainly dont want to butt into the middle of some
highly illicitaffair, he argued. He obeyed, feeling for the steps with his feet
and for the side wallswith his hand.
Yet he had put out before the turn of the
tide andgone down with the ebb. Had she, too, beenaway from the house last
night? Ricardos elbow, by a sigh; andhis blood turned cold as he heard it.
But
it must be read for itself, not as thegateway of dreams. He opened the long
window very cautiously and stepped out on to thepavement of the terrace. The
Commissaire Herbesthal looked round theroom. He stood in the dark, with his
heartpounding noisily in his breast, not daring to move.
Messieurs, Mesdames, I
am Herbesthal, the Commissaire of Police.
Ricardo was thrilled to his marrow at
being made a participator inthis mystery. Someone had slid with the swiftness
of a snakeinto that room and turned a key.
I certainly dont want to butt into
the middle of some highly illicitaffair, he argued.
She turned her back
uponHanaud and the Commissaire Herbesthal. So we came here at once, and here we
find that a guest ismissing.
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