E-text prepared by Al Haines
by
Author of
"The Blood Bond" "The Idol of the King"
"Tears of Angels" "The Queen's Gate Mystery"
"Out of the Shadows" Etc. Etc.
LondonF. V. White & Co. Ltd.17 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C.1911
I turned the corner abruptly and found myself in a long, dreary street;looking in the semi-fog and drizzle more desolate than those dismalold-world streets of Bath I had passed through already in my aimlesswandering; I turned sharply and came almost face to face with her.
She was standing on the upper step, and the door stood open; the houseitself looked neglected and with the general appearance of having beenshut up for years. The windows were grimed with dirt, and there wasthat little accumulation of dust, pieces of straw, and little scraps ofpaper, under the two steps which tells of long disuse.
She stood on the step, a figure slightly over the middle height,leaning one hand on a walking stick, and her face fascinated me.
It was the face of an old lady of perhaps seventy, hale and healthful,with fresh colour on the cheeks, and bands of perfectly white hairfalling over the ears. But it was the expression which attracted me;it was peculiarly sweet and winning.
My halt could only have been momentary. I recollected myself and waspassing on, when she spoke to me.
"Would you be so kind as to do me a favour, sir?" she asked.
The voice was as sweet and winning as her expression; though she spokeperfect English, yet there was the very slightest soupçon of aforeign accent. Of what country, I could not tell.
I stopped again as she spoke, and having perhaps among my friends alittle reputation for politeness to the weaker sex, especially theolder members of it—for I am not by way of being a Lothario, be itsaid—I answered her as politely as I could.
"In what way may I be of service to you?"
She brought her walking stick round in front of her and leant upon itwith both hands as she made her request. She then appeared, in thefuller light of the yellow-flamed old-fashioned gas lamp opposite, tobe much older than I first thought.
"I want you, if you will," she said, "to come into this house for a fewminutes. I wish to ask a further favour of you which I shall then havean opportunity of explaining, but, on the other hand, the service Ishall ask will not go unrewarded."
P