Brenda had to be satisfied with this, for her friend absolutely refused to tell her any more. But she left 杭州品茶按摩 feeling that her husband was safe from the intrigues of the Dutchman, and that was all she cared about.

Left alone, Lady Jenny clenched her hands.

“If I could only hang him!” she muttered. “But that is impossible!”
CHAPTER XVIII. EXIT VAN ZWIETEN.
As Lady Jenny had expected, Mr. van Zwieten proved himself to be a wise man by presenting himself in her drawing-room at the appointed hour. He was in evening dress, calm and composed as usual, and greeted her with a low bow. She could not help admiring his self-possession. His reputation, his liberty even, was at stake, and yet he never turned a hair. And with these feelings uppermost, she received him 杭州品茶群老司机 more kindly, perhaps, than she would otherwise have done. The Dutchman, taking his cue from her, that the conversation, despite its probable sensational character, was not to be conducted on melodramatic lines, reciprocated her politeness. Any one seeing the pair might have imagined that they were discussing nothing of more importance than “Shakespeare and the musical glasses,” rather than a subject which, to one of them, at least, meant life or death.

The hostess, in a black silk dinner dress, with a few well-chosen jewels, looked unusually pretty in the light of the lamps, and Van Zwieten was an admirer of pretty women, and knew well how to make himself agreeable to them. Had the subject-matter of their conversation been only less serious, he would have enjoyed himself. As it was, he did not find the hour he spent with her 杭州品茶论坛 irksome. For a few moments the two antagonists discussed general topics, and then Lady Jenny came suddenly to the point. The man watched her warily. Pretty she might be, but that was no reason why he should allow her to get the better of him. It was a duel of words, and the combatants were well matched.

“Well, Mr. van Zwieten,” began the widow, “I suppose you were somewhat astonished at my invitation.”

“I cannot deny that I was, my dear lady. It is, perhaps, a trifle disconcerting to find one’s rooms robbed, and then to receive an invitation from the robber!”

“Oh, come, that

is rather harsh, is it not? It was what I should call simple justice.”

“Indeed!” 杭州spa上门服务 replied the other, dryly. “It would interest me to learn how you make that out.”

“Oh, easily. I can give you two reasons. In the first place, you threatened–did you not?–to 杭州洗浴中心600随便玩 accuse a man of a crime which you knew he had not committed. In the second, you are a spy, to put it plainly, and both Wilfred Burton and I felt it was our duty to secure proofs of your guilt. We are not all fools in this country!”

“That is a charge one would hardly bring against you,” returned Van Zwieten, with emphasis, “nor against that young man. Had I suspected him of so much cleverness, I should have taken more elaborate precautions.”

“Ah! you should never undervalue your enemies! Well, I suppose you know that you are in my power?”

“And in Wilfred Burton’s also!”

“No. I can manage him. He has left the decision of this matter in my hands. I 杭州洗浴按摩全套是什么 am sure you ought to be pleased at that!”

“I am. Because I see you mean to let me off.”

“That depends!” she said, and shot a keen glance at him. “I asked you to come here because 杭州不正规按摩价位 it was necessary that I should see you, sir–but I despise you none the less for that. You are a spy!–the meanest of all created creatures.”

Van Zwieten held up his hand. He was quite unmoved. “My dear lady, let us come to business. Believe me, preaching of that kind has very little effect on me. I might defend myself by saying that I have every right to use craft on behalf of the Transvaal fox against the mighty English lion, but I will content myself with holding my tongue. I would remind you that I have very little time to spare. I intend to leave this country to-morrow morning.”

“How do you know that I shall allow you to go?”

“You would hardly 杭州spa正规的吧 have invited me to this interview else,” Van Zwieten said cunningly. “You have something you want from me. Well, I will give it in exchange for my safety–and that includes, of course, 杭州洗浴中心洗鸳鸯浴 your silence.”

“It is clever of you to put it that way,” responded the widow, coolly. “It so happens that you are right. I intend to make a bargain with you.”

“Always provided that I agree.”

“Of course,” said she, airily; “but in this case I really think you will agree.”

“I am not so sure of that.” Van Zwieten narrowed his eyes and blinked wickedly. “You forget that I also know something.”

“For that reason I asked you here. Let me advise you not to pit yourself against me, my good man, or you may get the worst of it. A word from me and you would be kicking your heels in jail this very night.”