He was a quick and subtle judge of
character, and had seen at a glance that in her he would find a study
of pronounced interest. Also she might prove of some utility. It was
one of the tenets of the fraternity to which he belonged never to waste
any material that might come to hand. In the finely-cut face before
him, with its Oriental modelling and impassivity, he read brains,
refinement and endurance. Her hair was plaited in two long braids, and
drawn down over her ears, showing the contour of a sleek, smooth little
head.
She had relapsed into silence after disposing of the slovenly meal he
had induced the landlady to provide. The only thing that seemed to
worry her was the superfluous dirt that adorned the cups.
At length she spoke:
"And what sort of a place is this Barcelona?"
"_L'entresol de l'enfer_," answered Emile curtly. "What are your
people doing to allow you to come here alone?"
"They don't know I am here. I ran away, you see. If I get on well,
I'll write and let them know, and if not--"
"_Alors_?"
"Oh, I don't know.
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