Philpotts and Victorine, my sister's maid, were also made up on a
similar pattern, and a second baby was built up as a dummy that would
have deceived any one.
"Everything was completed by this morning, and I had settled that my
sister, with her dear little Ralph, should get away, but by quite a
new route, while I held my ground against the detectives. I felt sure
they would soon hear of me and run me down. I hoped they would attach
themselves to me, and meant to lead them a fine dance as a blind for
Henriette, who, meanwhile, would have crossed to Lyons and gone south
to Marseilles. The Riviera is a longer and more roundabout road to
Turin, but it was open, and I hoped unimpeded. What do you think of my
diplomacy?"
"Admirable!" I cried, with enthusiasm. "Your cleverness, Lady Claire,
is colossal. Go on, I beg of you. Surely you have succeeded?"
"Alas! no. Everything was cut and dried and this evening we scored the
first point in the game. Henriette went on this evening to Amberieu,
the junction for Lyons. She went straight from her hotel, alone, for
of course I was obliged to keep close, or the trick would have been
discovered, and it was in part.
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