No, the chances are that Girard will have no inner knowledge of the
matter I've put into his hands; and if he's a man of honour, he's bound
to do the best he can for me, as his employer. Have you seen du
Laurier?"
"Yes. At the theatre. Nothing bad had happened to him yet; but that
brute Godensky has made dreadful mischief between us. If only I'd known
that you would be so late, I might have explained everything to him."
"I'm very sorry," said Ivor, so humbly and so sadly that I pitied him
(but not half as much as I pitied myself, even though I hadn't forgotten
that hint he had let drop about a great sacrifice--a girl he loved, whom
he had thrown over, somehow, to come to me). "I made every effort to be
in time. It seems a piece with the rest of my horrible luck to-day that
I was prevented. I hope, at least, that du Laurier knows about the
necklace?"
"He does, by this," I answered. "Yet I'm afraid he won't be in a mood to
take much comfort from it--thanks to that wretch. You know Raoul hasn't
a practical bone in his body. He will think I've deceived him, and
nothing else will matter. I must--" But I broke off, and laid my hand on
Ivor's arm.
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