Red Masquerade

with golden strands and studded with lamp-posts like sturdy stems for ethereal blooms of golden haze. Within their areas o

he soft damp air, finding it as heady as strange wine. Under cover of the veil her eyes wer

, arabesque, nights of secrecy and stealth, mystery, and romance under the rose. On nights

e had prospered her designs, playing into her hands the information that this Monsieur Lanyard was not at home, migh

en occasion, ho

ree minutes alone w

had no right title to them who had purchased only the picture which had served as their hiding-place. By all means, let him keep that stupid

re of that. Had she not, that afternoon, in the auction room, without his knowledge d

concerning him were true, to make a conquest of Michael Lanyard would be a feather in the cap of any woman, to attempt it a temptation all but irresistible to one--like Sofia--in whose veins ran the ichor of progenitors to who

n pursuit of his avowed avocation as a collector of rare works of art--in London, Paris, Berlin, Vi

e for some time past the Lone Wolf had been perniciously busy; or else his

r contention that such an elusive yet spectacularly successful thief could hardly have won the high place he held in the annals

s of any sort, or even body-servants, must willy-nilly repose confidence in one of these, and then inevitably will be betrayed. De

this Monsieur Lanyard, according to reports which declared the latter to be a man who kept to himse

failed as yet to forge any link between the supercriminal of the age and the distinguished connoisseur of art. Other than Lady Diantha and the gossips wh

d been entirely second-hand, and n

stened firm hold upon the ima

rue ... what

ring in the eyes of the princess,

ng Sofia just a trifle daunted and dubious, the animation of her anticipations something da

o two years' unchallenged credit) Halfmoon Street is largely given over to furnished lodgings. But it doesn't advertise the fact, its landlords are apt to be retired butlers to the nobility and gentry, its lodgers English gentlemen who have brought home livers from India, or assorted di

fia thought) for an adven

on flimsiest hearsay. The chances were that Michael Lany

the bell. Either she would fail to obtain admittance (perhaps the lady whom he was really expecting had forestalled her) or else Lany

d the discounted response: Mister Lanyard was hout, 'e might not be 'ome till quite lite, but 'ad left word that if a lidy called she was to be awsked to wite. The princess indicating her desire t

Her heart began to beat more quickly, and a little tremor shook the hands that lifted and threw back her veil. After all, she was co

prepossessing tenant of these rooms. Now she desired nothing so dearly

ned doorway at the back that led (one surmised) to a bedchamber. It was furnished in such excellent taste that one suspected Monsieur Lanyard must have brought in his own belongings on taking possessio

nd needed to waste none searching for the object of her desires. It faced her, distant not six pa

and laid hold of the picture by its frame. In that act she check

g the portières at the back of the room.

ainst the chair and clattered on the floor--the canvas

cto

you to rem

character: the prowl of a beast of prey, furtive, cowardly, cruel. It was so: Victor was as feline and as vicious as a jungle

from his teeth. His hands were hidden in the pockets of his dinner-coat; but she could guess how they were held, like claws, in t

of her terror, she stamm

icture that lay betwe

nace, "is much the same as yours--quite naturally--but more fortun

at-

, face to face. I think you will h

w did yo

you must know; but quite unseen

thought y

hink you had

ltered: "I don'

me to believe my pretty

upon an unsuspected store of

me, what you ch

of you. My reason will

ith rage; so she shrugged and

grip on his temper. "Oh, it's plain enough! I was a fool not to understand, there in t

xpostulation: "But

as I know you, pay twenty thousand guineas for a footling copy of a Corot that wouldn't deceive a--a Royal Academician! Yes: he bid it in for you--the sorry fool!--bought with his ow

elf. "Why else should you be admitted to t

Princess Sofia nodded thoughtful

mmented: "qui

iled and for an instant stood gibbering. And she took advantage

eaths forced himself to cease to tremble, and subdued eve

c. "Such agility! But what good will that

or could inspire in her by such demonstrations of the power of his will. The self-control which he had

rait, she continued to confront him

ised her she declared: "The lette

have them though you nev

think than in any hope of m

them, Victo

kly, he sho

an nothing to y

patiently: "I sha

ssibl

I s

tested: "You ca

ason for leaving me--that you were the mist

tered in a low

ay keep them, burn them, do what you w

ed a pace or two nearer, his voice dropped to a lower key, the li

Sofia! I can't liv

but made no sound. Now it

ck to me

rs. She steeled herself to endure its touch, against sickening repulsion she fo

do--?" she

apt out to enfold her. She stepped back, evading him with a movement

Answer me first: If I r

erything forgotten--I will think of

y have my

ard, as if the concessi

e succeed in resisting a mad impulse to risk a rush for door or windows,

" she said;

ch her, again she moved

h glance--"not yet! First prove

ow

y letters--and cal

I?" He added in a tone colourless and flat: "I've half a mind to take you at your word. Only--forgiv

oof do y

head assented. "You will give yourself back to me?" He came nearer, bu

nse of his insistence struck home. Still she w

Victor, as

ious of his nearness as if a palpable a

me proof--h

ow

count ..." Suddenly she could no more: memories unspeakable rose like disturbed dregs to the surface of h

--le

sed soul. Galled beyond endurance, his countenance convulsed with fury, he struck wickedly; and the vicious blo

In a trice a woman whose existence neither of them had suspected was revealed, a fury incarnate flew at the dismayed prince, clawing, tearing, ra

sed, renewed her grasp upon herself, gazed momentarily in contempt on that dashed and quaking

t a flying end of the veil that swathed her throat and head. With finger-tips touching the door

, bade fair to suffocate her; and reeling, while her hands tore ineffectually at the folds

fully, her head throbbed with the revolt of strangulated arteri

ered over her, moping and mowing, as Victor twisted and dr

vy. She seized and dashed it brutally into that hateful face, saw his head jerk

n her throat was eased. Sh