Her heart gave a little beat. It was only by a strong exercise of will
that she forbore to turn round. She pushed her chair a little further
backwards, saying something to the waiter about a draught, and taking up
a French newspaper which some one had left behind, she listened
intently. All that she could remember of the men was that one was small,
clean-shaven, very neatly dressed, and having rather the appearance of
an American; and that the other was a larger and more florid man, with
red face and burly shoulders. It was apparently the former who
was speaking.
"It is a matter of five thousand pounds," she heard him say, "that is to
say, two thousand five hundred pounds each, and it can be done without
risk. The man is little known here, and has few friends. He has rooms in
a flat to which there is plenty of access, two lifts on each floor and
separate exits, and he lives quite alone."
"Two thousand five hundred pounds!" the other man uttered. "It sounds
well, but--"
Then his voice dropped, and she could hear nothing else for a minute or
two. She called a waiter and ordered something, she scarcely knew what.
The voices behind had sunk lower and lower.
Pages:
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180