"
"No, now. You want to find out why this Englishman from Italy
was at your sister's party, and why he disappeared?"
There are times when a malignant obstinacy seems to affect
certain people. The only answer Lillian made was to
pass her hand over Loder's waistcoat, and, feeling his
cigarette-case, to draw it from the pocket.
He affected not to see it. "Do you think he recognized you in
that tent?" he insisted, desperately.
She held out the case. "Here are your cigarettes. You know
we're always more social when we smoke."
In the short interval while she looked up into his face
several ideas passed through Loder's mind. He thought of
standing up suddenly and so regaining his advantage; he
wondered quickly whether one hand could possibly suffice for
the taking out and lighting of two cigarettes. Then all need
for speculation was pushed suddenly aside.
Lillian, looking into his face, saw his fresh look of
disturbance, and from long experience again changed her
tactics. Laying the cigarette-case on the couch, she put one
hand on his shoulder, the other on his left arm.
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