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Speaker 1: Without the wedding garment by Anonymous. On one of Lady

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George Atoll's first Thursdays, her rooms were filling to overflow.

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Barn Street was blocked with carriages. Lady George stood on

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the big square landing at the top of the stairs

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and gave her hand so often that after a time

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it seemed no longer her own. The people thronged up

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and up. The current appeared unending, and she felt almost

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as if the circle must be complete, and the string

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of guests must be revolving, as in a child's toy,

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the figures that are gummed onto a tape go up

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to the mill, move in endless succession, up and up

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and up. Her tongue was tired, too, and so was

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her smile, but each was kept in active work. How

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do you do? How do you do? How do you do?

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You're sudden? Up with you? No? I'm sorry? What lovely flowers?

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How do you do? How do you do? No? Almost cold?

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How do you do? Yes? Stifling? Ah missus Keith, I

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scarcely thought you would get away dull? Was it? What?

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None of the right people didn't suppose for an instant

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there would be Let me stand here for one moment.

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I want so much to know who someone is who

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came in just before us. A beautiful woman, quite too lovely,

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Missus Venables, probably not Missus Vennibles, fair Lady Fleet, no,

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miss Adair No, then I can't tell you till I

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see her. She's coming up now there with the fair hair. No,

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in front of the Brabazons. Lady George had the mischance

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to drop her bouquet, and in the momentary confusion, a

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name was lost. The lady who advanced behind the unheard

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name was fair to whiteness almost. Her hair was of

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a peculiar shade of yellow, like pale sulfur. Her eyes

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were of the lightest gray. Lady George gave her hand

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and said, how do you do? The Brabezons occupied her

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with some elaborate explanation about why they had been unable

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to dine in Barn Street, and in the meantime the lady,

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with a murmured word, had passed on. Lady George looked

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after her. She was spowing to some one. She was

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bowing again and now again. Apparently she had many friends

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in the room. Mister Brabazon was talking to Missus Keith,

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who as soon as he had moved away, turned to

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her hostess. She is handsome. I hope your flowers were

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not spoiled. I didn't catch the name. The lady was

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lost in the smart crowd. Neither did I, said Lady

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George blankly. And I don't know her from Adam. She

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must be some friend of the girls Joan or Maud

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must have sent her a card. My memory's so bad.

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I can't leave this. If you come across either of

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my daughters, will you send her to me? Missus Keith, Oh,

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here is my husband, George. George, go into the room

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and tell me who the striking looking woman with the

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yellow hair is. There are dozens of em, which I'll

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show you, said missus Keith. She was interested. The two

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moved away, but like the dove from the ark, they

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did not return. Lady George after ten minutes or so,

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felt that she had done her duty, and she left

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the top of the stairs. She forgot the unknown lady,

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and it was half an hour before she came across

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one of her daughters, Maud. I had something to ask you,

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and I forget what. Oh, yes, who is I can't

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see her now? Yes? There she is that woman with

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a yellow hair standing by the mantel piece in white?

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I don't know, but neither do I. I thought you

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would be able to tell me find Joan and send

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her to me. It was twenty minutes before Lady George's

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second daughter appeared before her. By that time, the lady

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had moved her place. I know the one you mean,

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said Joan, But I don't know who she is. She

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has very curious hair and she is in white. Yes, well,

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I don't know. Missus Keith came up. Lord George doesn't know,

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she said. I can easily find out, said Jane. She

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has been talking to Charlie Vincent for the last ten minutes.

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I'll ask him. She moved away as she spoke. Young

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Vincent was leaning against a pillar and laughing heartily. He

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was the butt for the moment of a chaff of

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two of his friends. Joan heard a few of their remarks.

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He didn't mind, don't you know? Awfully pretty woman like that?

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Neither would you? Said She met him at Nice and

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dear Old Charley's never been out of the country in

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his life. Vincent caught Miss Atoll's eye. You are going

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to let me take you down to supper, he said

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to her, I will see later on, said Jane. Just now,

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I want you to tell me something. What is the

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name of the lady you were talking to a few

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minutes ago. He began to laugh at what, said Joan,

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Well the whole thing. Those two chaps have been chaffing

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me like anything, as it is. You mean the handsome

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woman with the fair hair. Yes, I was standing near

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her when she turned round and put out her hand.

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She said, mister Vincent, isn't it And I said yes.

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And then she said she hadn't seen me for ever

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so long, and I didn't like to pretend that I

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did not know her, so I said that it was

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rather a long time. And then we talked for a bit.

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And you don't know who she is? Never saw her

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before my life? Who is she? Where did she think

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she had met you, said Joan, without answering his question. Well,

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you see that didn't come out till quite the end.

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She said, it must be two years since the days

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at Nice. And by that time I was so steeped

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in deception I had allowed my reminiscences of our former

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acquaintance to go to such lengths in order to coincide

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with hers that I had not the face to tell

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her that I had never been at nice in my life.

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She mistook me for some one else. I knew that

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after the first half dozen words. But you see, I

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had woven such a tangled web that I couldn't get

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out of it even if I wanted to. And those

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two chaps say I didn't, Joan laughed. She is very handsome,

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she said, but I'm not quite sure that she has

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good style. And you won't come down to supper, not now.

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I would ask her if I knew her name, said Vincent.

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I must get Lady George to tell me when I

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see her. You won't do that, said Joan, and she

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left him with a smile that he failed to interpret.

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Miss Atole went back to her mother. On the way

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she passed the fair unknown talking to mister Brabazon. I

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watched that missus Keith was saying she dropped her fan. Well, Jane,

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what had mister Vincent to tell you? Nothing, said miss Atoll.

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The mystery remains a mystery. She mistook him for some

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one else. She bowed to Lady Beckanham. I think here

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is Lady Beckenham. I will ask her not to me

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said Lady Beckenham. Lady George explained the situation. If I

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were in your case, I should go to her myself,

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said Lady Beckanham. I must, I think, said Lady George,

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and she sought her unknown guest. You will pardon me,

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she said, But I did not hear your name, and

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my memory is bad. I do not recall your face.

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I am Missus Darbyshire, said the lady. I was so

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sorry not to return your call on Monday. It was

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good of you to come and see me so soon.

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Derbyshire call. Lady George looked at her vacantly. The lady

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caught something of her hostess's expression. Can there be any mistake?

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She said? I don't know you, of course, because I

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did not see you when you called. You heard from

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my dear friends, the Van Lindens of New York, and

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you came to see me and asked me to your party.

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Lady George looked more vacant. You are Missus Sefton, surely,

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said the lady. There is some mistake, said Lady George.

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I am Lady George Atoll. Missus Derbyshire had started to

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her feet. How can I sufficiently apologize? She said, I

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am a stranger in London. I only arrived from New

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York last week. I had an introduction to Missus Sefton.

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I do not know her personally, so I did not

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discover my mistake. I came in a hansom and I

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suppose the driver mistook my direction. Lady George smiled graciously.

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The mistake is easily explained. If Missus Sefton lives in

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barn Square, that is it, I think, said Missus Derbyshire.

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And this is Barnes Street. I am so distressed this

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should have happened, said Missus Darbyshire. Not at all, said

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Lady George. You've found some friends here, I hope, and

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it has given us the pleasure of your company. The lady,

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with reiterated apologies, bowed and took her departure. A man

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who passed her on the stairs looked at her faceedly

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and hurried up to his hostess. Will you tell me

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that lady's name, he said, five minutes ago I might

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have asked you, Colonel Weston. She is a Missus Derbyshire.

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I believe her cabmen mistook Barne Street for Barn Square.

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You know nothing about her nothing, then excuse me Colonel

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Weston hurried down to the hall. Missus Drbyshire was coming

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from the cloak room. Mademoiselle Le stoct will permit me

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to see her to her hotel. The lady started, then

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smiled and bowed. Monsieur a bienne mable she said. He

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followed her to the hansom and got in. He spoke

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up through the trap. Drive slowly to the end of

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the street, and I will direct you. He turned then

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to his companion. We meet again, Mademoiselle. Well, Monsieur Mademoiselle

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has perhaps few friends in London. Not many. Monsieur Mademoiselle, however,

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starts well under such a wing as that of Lady

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George atall, without doubt, Monsieur a more softly feathered wing

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than that of the law Mademoiselle. You should know, Monsieur

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is facetious. I should like to see what you have

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in your pocket, Mademoiselle, my handkerchief, monsieur, what else a

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meager purse? What else? That is all? That figure clad

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in dark blue is a policeman? What else, Mademoiselle? Only this,

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said Missus Darbyshire. She handed him a small diamond brooch

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as she spoke. Only that that is all, monsieur, I

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have had no luck. You are sure, that is all

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a word to my friend in blue, save yourself the trouble, monsieur.

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That is all. Good night, mademoiselle, good night, for the

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old sake's sake, good night, said Missus Darbysher. Colonel Weston

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called another cab and drove back to Barn Street. A

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chance likeness, perhaps to some one I met in Paris,

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he said to Lady George. One is easily mistaken. I

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have just picked this up, he added, putting the brooch

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into her hand. Do you know whose it is? Some

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one is sure to claim it, said Lady George. A

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few days later it chanced that Lady George Atoll and

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Missus Sefton met. I suppose you heard from your friend,

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Missus Derbyshire, of her coming to my crush and mistake

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of yours. Missus Derbyshire, said Missus Sefton. But she came

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to me the night before last, for you her cabin mistook.

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Lady George opened her eyes. When did that happen? On Wednesday?

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I have good reason to remember the day, for I

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lost an emerald bracelet,