Page:Alice Stuyvesant - The Vanity Box.djvu/220

 Miss Ricardo's faint cry of recognition put an end, of course, to Sir Ian's hesitation. He took a few steps forward, and held out his hand to her.

"This is indeed a great surprise!" he said.

"It is indeed," she echoed.

They shook hands, looking straight into each other's eyes for a second or two, as if in spite of everything it was a joy to meet, a joy which would not be denied. They had the air of thinking that they two were alone in the world, just for an instant; and then, as though with the birth of the same thought, they dropped hands and turned to Miss Verney.

"Nora! How very strange, isn't it?" almost stammered Terry, as if she were afraid that the girl did not believe in her surprise. And if she were afraid of this (thought the detective), it at least was not as strange as some other things.

"Yes," said Nora, in a low voice. "It is strange." She looked frightened, almost horrified, it seemed to the detective, who had some sympathy for her, as she was, in his opinion, the prettiest girl he had ever seen. She did not put out her hand, and neither did Sir Ian. Michel noticed that the ex-officer gazed at her somewhat sadly and that she appeared to turn her eyes distastefully from his.

"Can that girl have found out anything about Sir Ian Hereward which has made her hate him?" the detective wondered, in a kind of professional ecstasy.