"I never guess," he said, brusquely.
"Then I'll tell you. His hands were the hands of my
Englishman! The rings covered the scar made by Ko Ko's teeth.
I knew it instantly--the second my eyes rested on it. It was
the same scar that I had bound up dozens of times--that I had
seen healed before I left Santasalare."
"And you? What did you do?" Loder felt it singularly
difficult and unpleasant to speak.
"Ah, that's the point. That's where I was stupid and made my
mistake. I should have spoken to him on the moment, but I
didn't. You know how one sometimes hesitates. Afterwards it
was too late."
"But you saw him afterwards--in the rooms?" Loder spoke
unwillingly.
"No, I didn't--that's the other point. I didn't see him in
the rooms, and I haven't seen him since. Directly he was
gone, I left the tent--I pretended to be hungry and bored;
but, though I went through every room, he was nowhere to be
found. Once--" she hesitated and laughed again--" once I
thought I had found him, but it was only you--you, as you
stood in that door-way with your mouth and chin hidden by
Leonard Kaine's head.
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