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man£¿¡¨



¡¨I¡¡don't¡¡understand£»¡¨¡¡she¡¡said¡¡simply¡£



¡¨Perhaps£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡John¡¡Milton¡¡with¡¡a¡¡boyish¡¡blush£»¡¡¡¨you¡¡may¡¡have

unconsciously¡¡raised¡¡hopes¡¡in¡¡his¡¡heartand¡¨



¡¨I¡¡should¡¡hardly¡¡attempt¡¡to¡¡interest¡¡a¡¡chronicler¡¡of¡¡adventure¡¡like

you¡¡in¡¡such¡¡a¡¡very¡¡commonplace£»¡¡every¡­day¡¡style¡¡of¡¡romance£»¡¨¡¡she

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vulgar¡¡as¡¡that¡£¡¡¡¡And£»¡¨¡¡she¡¡added¡¡quickly£»¡¡with¡¡a¡¡playfully¡¡amused

smile¡¡as¡¡she¡¡saw¡¡the¡¡young¡¡fellow's¡¡evident¡¡distress£»¡¡¡¨I¡¡should

have¡¡probably¡¡heard¡¡from¡¡him¡¡again¡£¡¡¡¡Those¡¡stories¡¡always¡¡end¡¡in

that¡¡way¡£¡¨



¡¨And¡¡you¡¡think£¿¡¨said¡¡John¡¡Milton¡£



¡¨I¡¡think£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Ashwood¡¡slowly£»¡¡¡¨that¡¡he¡¡actually¡¡did¡¡commit

suicideor¡¡effaced¡¡himself¡¡in¡¡some¡¡way£»¡¡just¡¡as¡¡firmly¡¡as¡¡I

believe¡¡he¡¡might¡¡have¡¡been¡¡saved¡¡by¡¡judicious¡¡treatment¡£¡¡¡¡Otherwise

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reasoningbut¡¡I¡¡think¡¡our¡¡perceptions¡¡are¡¡often¡¡instinctive£»¡¡and¡¡I

knew¡¡his¡¡character¡£¡¨



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his¡¡own¡¡weaving£»¡¡the¡¡imaginative¡¡young¡¡reporter¡¡who¡¡had¡¡seen¡¡so

much¡¡from¡¡the¡¡heights¡¡of¡¡Russian¡¡Hill¡¡said¡¡earnestly£»¡¡¡¨Then¡¡I¡¡have

your¡¡permission¡¡to¡¡use¡¡this¡¡material¡¡at¡¡any¡¡future¡¡time£¿¡¨



¡¨Yes£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡the¡¡lady¡¡smilingly¡£



¡¨And¡¡you¡¡will¡¡not¡¡mind¡¡if¡¡I¡¡should¡¡take¡¡some¡¡liberties¡¡with¡¡the

text£¿¡¨



¡¨I¡¡must¡¡of¡¡course¡¡leave¡¡something¡¡to¡¡your¡¡artistic¡¡taste¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡you

will¡¡let¡¡me¡¡see¡¡it£¿¡¨



There¡¡were¡¡voices¡¡outside¡¡now£»¡¡breaking¡¡the¡¡silence¡¡of¡¡the¡¡veranda¡£

They¡¡had¡¡been¡¡so¡¡preoccupied¡¡as¡¡not¡¡to¡¡notice¡¡the¡¡arrival¡¡of¡¡a

horseman¡£¡¡¡¡Steps¡¡came¡¡along¡¡the¡¡passage£»¡¡the¡¡landlord¡¡returned¡£

Mrs¡£¡¡Ashwood¡¡turned¡¡quickly¡¡towards¡¡him¡£



¡¨Mr¡£¡¡Grant£»¡¡of¡¡your¡¡party£»¡¡ma'am£»¡¡to¡¡fetch¡¡you¡£¡¨



She¡¡saw¡¡an¡¡unmistakable¡¡change¡¡in¡¡her¡¡young¡¡friend's¡¡mobile¡¡face¡£

¡¨I¡¡will¡¡be¡¡ready¡¡in¡¡a¡¡moment£»¡¨¡¡she¡¡said¡¡to¡¡the¡¡landlord¡£¡¡¡¡Then£»

turning¡¡to¡¡John¡¡Milton£»¡¡the¡¡arch¡­hypocrite¡¡said¡¡sweetly£º¡¡¡¨My

brother¡¡must¡¡have¡¡known¡¡instinctively¡¡that¡¡I¡¡was¡¡in¡¡good¡¡hands£»¡¡as

he¡¡didn't¡¡come¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡I¡¡am¡¡sorry£»¡¡for¡¡I¡¡should¡¡have¡¡so¡¡liked¡¡to

introduce¡¡him¡¡to¡¡youalthough¡¡by¡¡the¡¡way£»¡¨¡¡with¡¡a¡¡bright¡¡smile£»¡¡¡¨I

don't¡¡think¡¡you¡¡have¡¡yet¡¡told¡¡me¡¡your¡¡name¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡know¡¡I¡¡couldn't¡¡have

FORGOTTEN¡¡it¡£¡¨



¡¨Harcourt£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡John¡¡Milton£»¡¡with¡¡a¡¡half¡­embarrassed¡¡laugh¡£



¡¨But¡¡you¡¡must¡¡come¡¡and¡¡see¡¡me£»¡¡Mr¡£Mr¡£¡¡Harcourt£»¡¨¡¡she¡¡said£»

producing¡¡a¡¡card¡¡from¡¡a¡¡case¡¡already¡¡in¡¡her¡¡fingers£»¡¡¡¨at¡¡my¡¡hotel£»

and¡¡let¡¡my¡¡brother¡¡thank¡¡you¡¡there¡¡for¡¡your¡¡kindness¡¡and¡¡gallantry

to¡¡a¡¡stranger¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡shall¡¡be¡¡here¡¡a¡¡few¡¡weeks¡¡longer¡¡before¡¡we¡¡go

south¡¡to¡¡look¡¡for¡¡a¡¡place¡¡where¡¡my¡¡brother¡¡can¡¡winter¡£¡¡¡¡DO¡¡come¡¡and

see¡¡me£»¡¡although¡¡I¡¡cannot¡¡introduce¡¡you¡¡to¡¡anything¡¡as¡¡real¡¡a

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