She drew a little breath, half of relief, half of excitement, and then
repenting at the closed door, quietly opened it, and left it about a
foot ajar. She looked round the room with a swift comprehensive glance.
There was only one place where it seemed possible that papers of
importance might be hidden, a small desk with pigeon-holes, before the
window. She sat down in front of it, and methodically, one by one, she
examined every paper she found, bills, receipts, prospectuses,
charitable appeals, circulars, memoranda of literary matter. She found
many of these, but nothing in the least like the paper for which she was
in search.
With a little sigh she closed the desk, and, turning away from it,
seated herself in the easy-chair in front of the fireplace. Almost as
she did so she received a shock which sent the blood tingling through
her body. The outer door had opened very softly. She had the idea that
some one was standing outside hesitating whether to enter. Thoughts
flashed quickly through her mind. This was not Norris Vine, or he would
have entered his own room without hesitation. She affected to be
absorbed in the magazine which she had picked up, but it was almost
certain, from the fact that the door was gently pushed open another inch
or two, that some one was looking through the chink.
Pages:
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195