The Hand
the man to be prone to; the effect of which was heightened by the fact that simultaneously the woman's face burned crimson.
"Poor Aziz!" thought Viazma.
And, "Monsieur O'Rourke, you make me very happy," said the woman. "I have not lived in vain, monsieur!"
The double entente touched the Irishman. "God bless ye!" he whispered hoarsely.
But the woman jerked away her hands quickly, as though confused.
"Monsieur le Prince!" she cried.
Viazma, assured that all was well, stepped into the room, dexterously dropping the revolver into the pocket of his. dinner coat—keeping his hand upon it, however, ready to fire in event of any misunderstanding.
"Pardon," he purred, grimacing his approval; "I did not wish to intrude. Mam'selle, you have won our little bet. Colonel O'Rourke, permit me to congratulate you on your sound common sense. Believe me, sir, it is well to follow the example of Providence and fight on the side with the heaviest ordnance."
"But that," O'Rourke assured him, "is not me reason for abjuring me views of last evening, monsieur. I. am, unfortunately, susceptible to the charms of the fair sex."
"There," O'Rourke muttered savagely to himself, "if that's not sufficiently crass to hoodwink ye, me diplomatist—well, I'm as big a fool as I hope ye think me."
But Viazma was already beyond suspecting. He regarded the conquest of O'Rourke as complete.
"Let us all," he suggested, "join the others and announce to them our good fortune."
"The divvle!" thought O'Rourke dismayed. "Others! Faith, I am in for it!"
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