the cruise of the jasper b.-µÚ15ÕÂ
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strength£»¡¡he¡¡perceived¡¡subtly¡¡that¡¡Lady¡¡Agatha¡¡was¡¡of¡¡the¡¡nature
to¡¡appreciate¡¡this¡¡compliment¡£¡¡¡¡At¡¡a¡¡moment¡¡when¡¡her¡¡fortunes
were¡¡at¡¡a¡¡low¡¡ebb¡¡what¡¡could¡¡more¡¡cheer¡¡a¡¡woman¡¡and¡¡hearten¡¡her
than¡¡such¡¡a¡¡mark¡¡of¡¡consideration£¿¡¡¡¡Already¡¡Cleggett¡¡found
himself¡¡asking¡¡what¡¡would¡¡please¡¡Lady¡¡Agatha¡£¡¡
CHAPTER¡¡VIII
A¡¡FLAME¡¡LEAPS¡¡OUT¡¡OF¡¡THE¡¡DARK
Kuroki¡¡announced¡¡dinner£»¡¡Cleggett¡¡entered¡¡the¡¡captain's¡¡mess¡¡room
of¡¡the¡¡cabin£»¡¡where¡¡the¡¡cloth¡¡was¡¡laid£»¡¡and¡¡a¡¡moment¡¡later¡¡lady
Agatha¡¡emerged¡¡from¡¡the¡¡stateroom¡¡and¡¡gave¡¡him¡¡her¡¡hand¡¡with¡¡a
smile¡£
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traveling¡¡suit£»¡¡he¡¡thought¡¡her¡¡radiant¡¡now£»¡¡in¡¡the¡¡true¡¡sense¡¡of
that¡¡much¡¡abused¡¡word¡£¡¡¡¡For¡¡she¡¡flung¡¡forth¡¡her¡¡charm¡¡in¡¡vital
radiations¡£¡¡If¡¡Cleggett¡¡had¡¡possessed¡¡a¡¡common¡¡mind¡¡he¡¡might¡¡have
phrased¡¡it¡¡to¡¡himself¡¡that¡¡she¡¡hit¡¡a¡¡man¡¡squarely¡¡in¡¡the¡¡eyes¡£¡¡¡¡
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like¡¡a¡¡challenge£»¡¡and¡¡with¡¡sophisticated¡¡feminine¡¡art¡¡she¡¡had
contrived¡¡that¡¡the¡¡dinner¡¡gown¡¡she¡¡chose¡¡for¡¡that¡¡evening¡¡should
sound¡¡the¡¡keynote¡¡of¡¡her¡¡personality¡¡like¡¡a¡¡leitmotif¡¡in¡¡an
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caught¡¡here¡¡and¡¡there¡¡with¡¡strings¡¡of¡¡pearls¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡was¡¡a¡¡single
large¡¡rose¡¡of¡¡pink¡¡velvet¡¡among¡¡the¡¡draperies¡¡of¡¡the¡¡skirt£»¡¡a
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that¡¡hung¡¡down¡¡to¡¡her¡¡waist¡¡added¡¡the¡¡touch¡¡of¡¡soft¡¡luster
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obvious¡¡an¡¡assault¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡senses£»¡¡Cleggett¡¡reflected¡¡that
another¡¡woman¡¡might¡¡have¡¡gone¡¡too¡¡far¡¡and¡¡spoiled¡¡it¡¡all¡¡by
wearing¡¡diamonds¡£¡¡¡¡Lady¡¡Agatha¡¡always¡¡knew¡¡where¡¡to¡¡stop¡£
¡¨I¡¡have¡¡not¡¡been¡¡so¡¡hungry¡¡since¡¡I¡¡was¡¡in¡¡Holloway¡¡Jail£»¡¨¡¡said
Lady¡¡Agatha¡£¡¡¡¡And¡¡she¡¡ate¡¡with¡¡a¡¡candid¡¡gusto¡¡that¡¡pleased
Cleggett£»¡¡who¡¡loathed¡¡in¡¡a¡¡woman¡¡a¡¡finical¡¡affectation¡¡of
indifference¡¡to¡¡food¡£
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There¡¡was¡¡little¡¡more¡¡to¡¡¡¡tell¡£
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instructions¡£¡¡¡¡Two¡¡nights¡¡after¡¡they¡¡had¡¡been¡¡engaged¡¡they¡¡had
appeared¡¡at¡¡Lady¡¡Agatha's¡¡apartment¡¡with¡¡the¡¡oblong¡¡box¡£
¡¨The¡¡horrid¡¡creatures¡¡brought¡¡it¡¡into¡¡my¡¡sitting¡room¡¡and¡¡laid¡¡it
on¡¡the¡¡floor¡¡before¡¡I¡¡could¡¡prevent¡¡them£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Lady¡¡Agatha¡£
¡¨'What¡¡is¡¡this£¿'¡¡I¡¡asked¡¡them£»¡¡in¡¡bewilderment¡£
¡¨They¡¡replied¡¡that¡¡they¡¡had¡¡killed¡¡Reginald¡¡Maltravers¡¡ACCORDING
TO¡¡ORDERS£»¡¡and¡¡had¡¡brought¡¡him¡¡to¡¡me¡£
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was¡¡it¡¡that¡¡they¡¡did£¿¡¨¡¡she¡¡mused£»¡¡perplexed¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡called¡¡Elmer
into¡¡the¡¡cabin¡£
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never¡¡remember¡¡the¡¡words¡£¡¨
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ginks¡¡to¡¡poke¡¡him¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡these¡¡ginks¡¡tells¡¡th'¡¡little¡¡dame¡¡here
they¡¡t'inks¡¡I¡¡has¡¡said¡¡to¡¡croak¡¡him¡£¡¡¡¡So¡¡they¡¡goes¡¡an'¡¡croaks
him¡£¡¡¡¡D'¡¡youse¡¡get¡¡me£¿¡¨
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wanted¡¡more¡¡money¡£¡¡¡¡And¡¡they¡¡said¡¡they¡¡would¡¡not¡¡leave¡¡until¡¡they
got¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¡They¡¡threatened£»¡¡unless¡¡I¡¡gave¡¡them¡¡the¡¡money¡¡at¡¡once£»
to¡¡leave¡¡the¡¡place¡¡and¡¡get¡¡word¡¡to¡¡the¡¡police¡¡of¡¡the¡¡presence¡¡of
the¡¡box¡¡in¡¡my¡¡apartment¡£
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them¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡felt¡¡myself¡¡to¡¡be¡¡entirely¡¡in¡¡their¡¡power¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡saw¡¡only
the¡¡weakness¡¡of¡¡my¡¡own¡¡position¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡could¡¡not£»¡¡at¡¡the¡¡moment£»¡¡see
the¡¡weak¡¡spots¡¡in¡¡theirs¡£¡¡¡¡Elmer¡¡might¡¡have¡¡advised¡¡mebut¡¡he
was¡¡not¡¡there¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡miserable¡¡episode¡¡ended¡¡with¡¡my¡¡giving¡¡them¡¡a
thousand¡¡dollars¡¡each£»¡¡and¡¡they¡¡left¡£
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thought¡¡of¡¡its¡¡being¡¡opened¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡refused¡¡to¡¡allow¡¡Elmer¡¡to¡¡look
into¡¡it¡£
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fictitious¡¡personage£»¡¡and¡¡then¡¡take¡¡the¡¡next¡¡ship¡¡back¡¡to
England¡£
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ignorant¡¡of¡¡American¡¡geography¡£
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was¡¡already¡¡wild¡¡to¡¡get¡¡it¡¡into¡¡my¡¡possession¡¡again¡£
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once£»¡¡and¡¡were¡¡waiting¡¡at¡¡the¡¡freight¡¡depot¡¡in¡¡Newark¡¡when¡¡the
thing¡¡arrived¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡I¡¡claimed¡¡it¡¡in¡¡the¡¡name¡¡of¡¡Miss¡¡Genevieve
Pringle¡£
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arrived¡¡here£»¡¡and¡¡we¡¡started¡¡back¡¡to¡¡New¡¡York¡£
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instant¡¡I¡¡might¡¡do¡¡something¡¡to¡¡betray¡¡myself¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡cut¡¡the¡¡manager
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Poughkeepsie¡¡and¡¡the¡¡chauffeur¡¡asked¡¡me¡¡again¡¡what¡¡disposition¡¡to
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insolently¡¡demanded¡¡an¡¡enormous¡¡fare¡£
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to¡¡place£»¡¡in¡¡and¡¡about¡¡New¡¡York¡¡City's¡¡suburbsnow¡¡in¡¡town¡¡and
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ferryboats