Page:Richard Marsh--The goddess a demon.djvu/240

228 I glanced in the direction she was pointing. In front, just far enough off to cause the outlines to be a little obscured by the mist, was a figure I seemed to recognise. I quickened my steps.

"Lawrence! Philip Lawrence!"

Although his back was turned to us, I could not but suspect that he had seen us first. Because, scarcely had I spoken, than, darting into the road, he sprang into a passing cab without troubling to stop it, shouted some direction to the driver, which I could not catch, and in an instant was away. To pursue and leave the lady there was out of the question. I waited till she came up.

"Are you sure that it was Lawrence?" I inquired.

"Certain! I have only seen him once, but then under circumstances which make it impossible that I ever could mistake him. There is a portrait of the man upon my brain—life-size. Wherever and whenever I see him I shall know that it is he."

"It is odd that he should have run away."

I was puzzled; not only by his flight, but by the rapidity with which it had been performed.

"Yes, it is odd. What's that?"

A note of fear was in her voice. She came closer to me. I saw that her face had suddenly