But I cared little for this; all I
wanted to know was whether Mr. Blake would approach her or not during
the evening. Tediously the moments passed; but a detective on duty,
or on fancied duty, succumbs to no weariness. I had a woman before me
worth studying and the time could not be thrown away. I learned to
know her beauty; the poise of her head, the flush of her cheek, the
curl of her lip, the glance--yes, the glance of her eye, though that
was more difficult to understand, for she had a way of drooping her
lids at times that, while exceedingly effective upon the poor wretch
toward whom she might be directing that half-veiled shaft of light,
was anything but conducive to my purposes.
At length with a restless shrug of her haughty shoulders she turned
away from her crowd of adorers, her breast heaving under its robing
of garnet velvet, and her whole face flaring with a light that might
mean resolve and might mean simply love. I had no need to turn my
head to see who was advancing towards her; her stately attitude as
countess, her thrilling glance as woman, betrayed only too readily.
He was the more composed of the two. Bowing over her hand with a few
words I could not hear, he drew back a step and began uttering the
usual common-place sentiments of the occasion.
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