"
Liane followed him out in silence, but her carriage was that of a queen
of tragedy. Lanyard got up in turn, and to his amazement found the
eyebrows signalling confidentially to him.
"What the devil!" he exclaimed, in an open stare.
Immediately the eyebrows became conciliatory.
"Well, monsieur, and what is your opinion?"
"Why, to me it would seem there might be something in the suggestion of
Monsieur Phinuit."
"Ridiculous!" Monk dismissed it finally. "Do you know, I rather fancy
my own.... Liane's up to something," he added, explanatory; and then,
as Lanyard said nothing--"You haven't told me yet what she was talking
to you about last night just before her--alleged fright."
Lanyard contrived a successful offensive with his own eyebrows.
"Oh?" he said, "haven't I?" and walked out.
Here was a new angle to consider. Monk's attitude hinted at a possible
rift in the entente cordiale of the conspirators. Why else should he
mistrust Liane's sincerity in asserting that she had seen Popinot?
Aside from the question of what he imagined she could possibly gain by
making a scene out of nothing--a riddle unreadable--one wondered
consumedly what had happened to render Monk suspicious of her good
faith.
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