Page:Alice Stuyvesant - The Vanity Box.djvu/198

 blood in his veins and a perfect French accent at the tip of his tongue, was detailed to "shadow" the young lady. He was to follow her everywhere; to know what visits she received and what excursions she made; and as the English police was in touch with the French, the post-office authorities wherever she went would be accommodating. This espionage was to be conducted in such a way, however, as to leave the girl under the impression that she was free as air until her return to England for the inquest.

As a matter of fact, she had expected and feared that she might be watched, and though Miss Ricardo's arguments were consoling, Nora had determined from the first to be ceaselessly on guard. She felt that eyes would be upon her always; yet for certain reasons the prospect of going to France, of all countries, filled her with joy. She would be careful; nevertheless, a thing which she desired greatly to happen might somehow happen, without bringing harm to any one, but only good.

The dreaded word "police" was constantly in her mind, yet the "police" was for the girl a vague, looming monster, Argus-eyed, and with the many hands of a Briareus. She did not think of separate entities; and though Nora was aware that a detective had wormed from little Poppet Barnard information which had brought Kate Craigie and her footman-lover into ugly prominence, it did not occur to her that the same