"'I will explain myself,' I said, 'Mr. Delmas telephoned to you this
afternoon, did he not?'
"She nodded.
"'Saying that he very much regretted he could not leave business in
time to escort you here. Would you mind very much going by yourself,
and he would join you as soon as possible.'
"'Yes,' Ella Barlow said, 'he told me all that.'
"'Very well, then,' I went on, 'he rang me up some minutes later and
asked me if I would take his place for the first hour or so, and he
would be here by the end of the first act.'
"'But it is most unheard of,' Ella Barlow ejaculated, 'I don't know
you--I've never seen you before!'
"'That is, of course, very regrettable,' I said, 'but I will do all I
can for the past. I've something to say that I'm sure will interest
you. Have I your permission?'--and without waiting for her reply I sat
next to her. The box was a big one, big enough to hold half a dozen
people, and we sat in the extreme front of it. The lights were not
full up, as the orchestra had not started playing. I kept her
attention fixed on my face so that she was unaware what was taking
place, immediately behind her.
"'What is it?' she said, 'whatever can you have to say that can be of
any possible interest to me?'
"'Why,' I replied, 'to begin with I know something about your
character!'
"'Then you're a fortune teller!' she exclaimed eagerly, 'can you read
hands?'
"'I can read everything,' I said looking hard at her, 'hands, head,
and feet.
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