The Gay Lord Quex Part 44

[_There is a brief silence._ QUEX, _surprised in the act of drinking, lowers his gla.s.s slowly._

QUEX.

[_In a queer voice._] Sophy?

d.u.c.h.eSS.

Miss Fullgarney, the manicurist. She was so good as to offer to take Watson's place for to-night.

QUEX.

[_Looking steadily before him._] Oh?

[_There is another pause. The_ d.u.c.h.eSS _puts down her gla.s.s and, with her foot, pushes the footstool towards_ QUEX.

d.u.c.h.eSS.

[_Sliding from her chair on to the footstool._] Oh, Harry, the bitterness of this final meeting! the dull agony of it!

[_He gets rid of his tumbler and touches her arm._

QUEX.

[_Quietly._] d.u.c.h.ess--

d.u.c.h.eSS.

[_Surprised._] Eh?

QUEX.

I am sorry to alarm you, but this girl--Miss Eden's foster-sister--

d.u.c.h.eSS.

What about her?

QUEX.

She's a cat.

d.u.c.h.eSS.

Cat!

QUEX.

[_Gathering his ideas as he proceeds._] A common hussy, not above playing tricks--spying--

d.u.c.h.eSS.

Spying!

QUEX.

I caught her behind the hedge this evening, in the Italian garden, after you and I had been talking together.

d.u.c.h.eSS.

Behind the hedge!

QUEX.

She had previously done her best to make an a.s.s of me, while you were dressing for dinner--! [_Looking towards the pa.s.sage-door._] Where do you say her room is?

d.u.c.h.eSS.

At the end of that pa.s.sage. [_They rise together, with very little movement._] Oh, but she is in bed, and asleep!

QUEX.

_Is_ she?

d.u.c.h.eSS.

Harry!

QUEX.

Wait--! [_He goes to the door, and examines the key-hole. Then he turns to the_ d.u.c.h.eSS _and beckons to her. She joins him. He says, in a whisper, pointing to the key-hole._] Do you notice--?

d.u.c.h.eSS.

What?

QUEX.

The key is in the lock horizontally.

d.u.c.h.eSS.

She may have been peeping at us? [_He nods. She is sick at the thought._] How inexcusably careless of me!

QUEX.

[_At her elbow._] Listen. I'll keep out of sight. Open the door boldly and walk along the pa.s.sage. See if there is any sign of movement--

d.u.c.h.eSS.