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John's face hardened.
"
"
"
That is Mrs. Raikes."
The one that Miss Howard----"
Exactly," said John, with rather unnecessary abruptness.
I thought of the white-haired old lady in the big house, and that vivid wicked
little face that had just smiled into ours, and a vague chill of foreboding
crept over me. I brushed it aside.
"
Styles is really a glorious old place," I said to John.
He nodded rather gloomily.
Yes, it's a fine property. It'll be mine some day--should be mine now by
"
rights, if my father had only made a decent will. And then I shouldn't be so
damned hard up as I am now."
"
"
Hard up, are you?"
My dear Hastings, I don't mind telling you that I'm at my wit's end for
money."
"Couldn't your brother help you?"
"Lawrence? He's gone through every penny he ever had, publishing rotten
verses in fancy bindings. No, we're an impecunious lot. My mother's always
been awfully good to us, I must say. That is, up to now. Since her marriage,
of course----" he broke off, frowning.
For the first time I felt that, with Evelyn Howard, something indefinable had
gone from the atmosphere. Her presence had spelt security. Now that
security was removed--and the air seemed rife with suspicion. The sinister
face of Dr. Bauerstein recurred to me unpleasantly. A vague suspicion of
every one and everything filled my mind. Just for a moment I had a
premonition of approaching evil.
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