"If he has any
evil designs, a visit or a letter from you would only hasten
them."
By the way Madame d'Argeles shook her head, it was easy to see
that she had very little hope. "All this will end badly," she
murmured.
The baron shared her opinion, but he did not think it wise or kind
to discourage her. "Nonsense!" he said lightly, "luck is going to
change; it is always changing."
Then as he heard the clock strike, he sprang from his arm-chair in
dismay. "Two o'clock," he exclaimed, "and Kami-Bey is waiting for
me. I certainly haven't been wasting time here, but I ought to
have been at the Grand Hotel at noon. Kami is quite capable of
suspecting a man of any knavery. These Turks are strange
creatures. It's true that I am now a winner to the tune of two
hundred and eighty thousand francs." He settled his hat firmly on
his head, and opening the door, he added: "Good-by, my dear
madame, I will soon see you again, and in the meantime don't
deviate in the least from your usual habits. Our success depends,
in a great measure, upon the fancied security of our enemies!"
Madame d'Argeles considered this advice so sensible that half an
hour later she went out for her daily drive in the Bois, little
suspecting that M. Fortunat's spy, Victor Chupin, was dogging her
carriage. It was most imprudent on her part to have gone to
Wilkie's house on her return.
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