The Quest of the Sacred Slipper

me. I sought by hard work to forget for a time the extraordinary business of the stolen slipper; but it persistently intruded upon my mind. Particula

to me that she must have been an accomplice of Hassan of Aleppo. At the time I had been at

d walked out under the arch into Fleet Street. Quite mechanically I turned t

big hotels, I was abruptly recalled

re," came music

ive, and this woman with the musical voice wore a delicate costume of flimsiest white. A few steps upward she paused and glance

nd overtook the lady in white as a porter swung

I must detain you for a moment. T

her lashes and raised them again, the gaze of the violet ey

a mistake, sir. We h

ed no trace of a

began-a

ng if my beautiful acquaintance persisted in her attitude. I fully realized what construction would be put upon my presence

eam sought out a lock of hair that strayed across her brow, and kissed

vidence of the violet eyes. I had been deceived by no strange resemblance; this was indeed the woman who had been the harbinger of Professor Deeping's death. In thre

If you decline, I shall have no alternative but to call

me coolly. "I suppose you would

ould disgrace me utterly! You are talking nonsense, as you must be aware-unless you are insane. But if your object be to force your a

usness, but for one instant the lips parted, affo

that of a creature of the terrible Hassan of Aleppo. Yet that she was the same girl who, a few days after my return from the East, had shown herself conversant with the plans of the murderous fanatics was beyond doubt. Her a

me from beneath her black lashes. Thus, half v

said softly, "ex

pretending that we

voice with her figure, her figure with her face, and vainly endeavouring to compute her a

ncing is

ose? I may be; others have thought so. And you thought you would like to make my acquaintance without troubling about the usual formalities? You ad

ss, who, finding herself in a dangerous situation, had adopted this daring lin

before me, I was in no mood for a veiled duel of words, for an interchange of glances in th

r eyes; but their violet mystery defied,

omise, made on the occasion of our previous meeting. But murder has been

her eyebrow

upon the quality of t

organization, and unless you can convince m

toward me, laying

to a matter with which truly I have no concern. Believe me, y

or scarcely had closed ere I was afoot. The corridor beyond was empty. I ran on. T

nagh of the Report! Did you

answered the hotel dete

h impunity, though one had no right to the hospitality of the establishment; and i

stayin

have never se

eyes had escaped, taking