"I
don't seem to have any money, my boy, but money, after all, means
nothing."
"It is h'impartant, sar."
"Oh yes, the letter. Very well." He opened the envelope and
pretended to read, but in reality the sheet held nothing for him
but a ravishing, mischievous face, with pansy eyes. He must have
stood staring unseeingly at it for several seconds. Then the
dancing visions faded and the scrawl stood out plainly:
Williams, detective, St. Louis, arrived at Colon this evening on
the Prince Joachim. You'd better take it on the run.
It was written upon Tivoli paper, but the hand was strange and it
was not signed.
"Well!" Kirk came suddenly to himself, and a spasm of disgust
seized him. "What a rotten inconvenience!" he said aloud. But
before he had time to measure the effect of this new complication
the swelling music reminded him that this dance belonged to Mrs.
Cortlandt and that her answer was due.
She was waiting for him in the gallery, and motioned him to the
chair adjoining hers.
"I can't two-step and talk at the same time," she said, "and here
we'll be quite private."
Kirk remained standing. "What I have to say won't take long. I've
made up my mind, and I--"
Edith interrupted him with a lightness that her look belied:
"Oh, let's not discuss it.
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