looked steadily at the proprietor of the hotel,
as Nevill said these words. The fat man did not show any sign of
embarrassment, however, unless his expectant gaze became somewhat fixed,
in an effort to prevent a blink. If this were so, the change was
practically imperceptible. "She had left here before six o'clock last
evening, hadn't she?"
"I cannot tell you, Monsieur. It is as I answered yesterday. I do not
know the time when she went out."
"You must know what she said when she went."
"On the contrary, Monsieur. The young lady did not speak with me
herself. She sent a message."
"And the message was that she was leaving your hotel?"
"First of all, that she had the intention of dining out. With a lady."
Stephen and Nevill looked at each other. With a lady? Could it be
possible that Mademoiselle Soubise, interested in the story, had called
and taken the girl away?
"What then?" went on Caird. "She let you know eventually that she'd made
up her mind to go altogether?"
"The message was that she might come back in some days. But yes,
Monsieur, she let me know that for the present she was leaving."
"Yet you didn't tell us this when we called!" exclaimed Stephen. "You
let us think she would be back later in the evening."
"Pardon me, Monsieur, if you remember, you asked _when_ Mademoiselle
would be back. I replied that I did not know. It was perfectly true. And
desolated as I was to inconvenience you, I could not be as frank as my
heart prompted. My regrettable reserve was the result of Mademoiselle's
expressed wish. She did not desire to have it known that she was leaving
the hotel, until she herself chose to inform her friends. As it seems
you have had a letter, Monsieur, I can now speak freely. Yesterday
evening I could not."
He looked like the last man whose heart would naturally prompt him to
frankness, but it seemed impossible to prove, at the moment, that he was
lying. It was on the cards that Miss Ray might have requested silence as
to her movements.
Stephen bit his lip to keep back an angry reproach, nevertheless, and
Caird reflected a moment before answering. Then he said slowly; "Look
here: we are both friends of Miss Ray, the only ones she has in Algiers,
except of course my aunt, Lady MacGregor, with whom she lunched
yesterday. We are afraid she has been imprudently advised by some one,
as she is young and inexperienced in travelling. Now, if you will find
out from your servants, and also
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