Dora is
only nineteen, very pretty and a trifle giddy--nothing more. But this
failing of hers--if you can call it a failing, was just the very
weapon Ella Barlow wanted. She worked on it at once, and by sending
Delmas a series of anonymous letters made him mad with jealousy. This
resulted in a breach between Delmas and Dora, and Ella Barlow, much
elated, at once tried to step into her shoes. She has been going out a
good deal with Delmas, who is in reality still very much in love with
Dora, and consequently exceedingly miserable. This morning Ella,
anxious to show off a magnificent set of diamonds, given her by her
father, telephoned to Delmas to take her to the Baldwyn Theatre, where
she has engaged a box for this evening--fondly hoping that the
diamonds will bring him up to the scratch, and that he will propose to
her. When I saw her she was on her way to a notorious quack doctor and
beauty specialist in Californian Street. She suffers from some nasty
skin disease, and is in mortal terror lest Delmas should get to know
of it, and also of the fact that all her teeth are false, and that two
of her toes are badly deformed."
"By Jupiter!" Hamar ejaculated, "this divination of yours beats mine
into fits--nothing escapes you!"
"No!" Kelson laughed, "nothing! Ella Barlow, metaphysical and physical
was laid before me just as bare as if the Almighty had got hold of her
with his dissecting knife. I saw everything--and what is more I said
to myself--here's plenty I can turn to a profitable account.
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