author - "Arthur W. Marchmont"
ve for a second or two and then smiled reassuringly. "It will be all right in time, quite right. You are suffering from shock; but you needn't worry. No worry. That's the great thing. A day or so will put you all right, Herr--let's see, what's your name?"
But I didn't bite. "Is it Lassen? The nurse said so."
"Don't you know it yourself?" he asked very kindly.
"No." That was true at any rate. "How did you find it out?"
"From the card in your trousers' pocket. You are the only survivor from the Burgen and had a very narrow escape. Even most of your clothes were blown off you. Doesn't anything I say suggest anything to you?"
I lay as if pondering this solemnly. "It's all so--so strange," I muttered, putting my hand to my head. "So--so----" and I left it at that; and he went away, after giving me one more item of valuable information--that my belt which contained my money had also been saved.
I played that lost memory for all it was worth and with gorgeous succes
" he exclaimed, very sharply.
I made a carefully calculated pause and then replied, choosing my words with deliberation: "It is the answer to your Excellency's question as to my opinion of the solution. If you have followed my formula, you have of course found the jewels. The Count was the thief."
"In God's name!" he cried, glancing round as though the very furniture must not hear such a word so applied.
"It was so obvious," I observed, with a carelessness more affected than real.
He sat in silence for some moments as he fingered the paper, and then striking a match burnt it with great deliberation, watching it jealously until every stroke of my writing was consumed.
"You say Charlotte has had this nearly a week?"
"The date was on it. I am always methodical," I replied, slowly. "I meant to prove to you that I can read things."
His eyes were even harder than before and his face very stern as he paused before replying with well-weighed significance:
"I fea
ve for a second or two and then smiled reassuringly. "It will be all right in time, quite right. You are suffering from shock; but you needn't worry. No worry. That's the great thing. A day or so will put you all right, Herr--let's see, what's your name?"
But I didn't bite. "Is it Lassen? The nurse said so."
"Don't you know it yourself?" he asked very kindly.
"No." That was true at any rate. "How did you find it out?"
"From the card in your trousers' pocket. You are the only survivor from the Burgen and had a very narrow escape. Even most of your clothes were blown off you. Doesn't anything I say suggest anything to you?"
I lay as if pondering this solemnly. "It's all so--so strange," I muttered, putting my hand to my head. "So--so----" and I left it at that; and he went away, after giving me one more item of valuable information--that my belt which contained my money had also been saved.
I played that lost memory for all it was worth and with gorgeous succes
" he exclaimed, very sharply.
I made a carefully calculated pause and then replied, choosing my words with deliberation: "It is the answer to your Excellency's question as to my opinion of the solution. If you have followed my formula, you have of course found the jewels. The Count was the thief."
"In God's name!" he cried, glancing round as though the very furniture must not hear such a word so applied.
"It was so obvious," I observed, with a carelessness more affected than real.
He sat in silence for some moments as he fingered the paper, and then striking a match burnt it with great deliberation, watching it jealously until every stroke of my writing was consumed.
"You say Charlotte has had this nearly a week?"
"The date was on it. I am always methodical," I replied, slowly. "I meant to prove to you that I can read things."
His eyes were even harder than before and his face very stern as he paused before replying with well-weighed significance:
"I fea