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slander¡¡invented¡¡by¡¡you£¡¡¨



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consequences¡¡of¡¡your¡¡folly¡¡I¡¡shall¡¡be¡¡willing¡¡to¡¡bear¡¡even¡¡HIS

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a¡¡moment¡¡ago¡£¡¨



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¡¨And¡¡he¡¡left¡¡no¡¡message¡¡for¡¡me£¿¡¡¡¡He¡¡said¡¡nothing£¿¡¨¡¡asked¡¡Mrs¡£

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forgot¡¡to¡¡leave¡¡a¡¡message¡£¡¨



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run¡¡away¡£¡¡¡¡Yes£»¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Horncastle¡¡was¡¡right£º¡¡she¡¡had¡¡been¡¡only¡¡a

miserable¡¡dupe¡£



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remembered¡¡how¡¡for¡¡the¡¡last¡¡three¡¡months¡¡she¡¡had¡¡been¡¡slowly

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flirtation¡¡in¡¡the¡¡San¡¡Francisco¡¡hotel¡¡to¡¡a¡¡clandestine¡¡meeting¡¡in

the¡¡street£»¡¡from¡¡a¡¡ride¡¡in¡¡the¡¡suburbs¡¡to¡¡a¡¡supper¡¡in¡¡a¡¡fast

restaurant¡¡after¡¡the¡¡theatre¡£¡¡¡¡Other¡¡women¡¡did¡¡it¡¡who¡¡were

fashionable¡¡and¡¡rich£»¡¡as¡¡Van¡¡Loo¡¡had¡¡pointed¡¡out¡¡to¡¡her¡£¡¡¡¡Other

fashionable¡¡women¡¡also¡¡gambled¡¡in¡¡stocks£»¡¡and¡¡had¡¡their¡¡private

broker¡¡in¡¡a¡¡¡¨Charley¡¨¡¡or¡¡a¡¡¡¨Jack¡£¡¨¡¡¡¡Why¡¡should¡¡not¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Barker¡¡have

business¡¡with¡¡a¡¡¡¨Paul¡¨¡¡Van¡¡Loo£»¡¡particularly¡¡as¡¡this¡¡fast¡¡craze

permitted¡¡secret¡¡meetings£¿for¡¡business¡¡of¡¡this¡¡kind¡¡could¡¡not¡¡be

conducted¡¡in¡¡public£»¡¡and¡¡permitted¡¡the¡¡fair¡¡gambler¡¡to¡¡call¡¡at

private¡¡offices¡¡without¡¡fear¡¡and¡¡without¡¡reproach¡£¡¡¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Barker's

vanity£»¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Barker's¡¡love¡¡of¡¡ceremony¡¡and¡¡form£»¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Barker's

snobbishness£»¡¡were¡¡flattered¡¡by¡¡the¡¡attentions¡¡of¡¡this¡¡polished

gentleman¡¡with¡¡a¡¡foreign¡¡name£»¡¡which¡¡even¡¡had¡¡the¡¡flavor¡¡of

nobility£»¡¡who¡¡never¡¡picked¡¡up¡¡her¡¡fan¡¡and¡¡handed¡¡it¡¡to¡¡her¡¡without

bowing£»¡¡and¡¡always¡¡rose¡¡when¡¡she¡¡entered¡¡the¡¡room¡£¡¡¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Barker's

scant¡¡schoolgirl¡¡knowledge¡¡was¡¡touched¡¡by¡¡this¡¡gentleman£»¡¡who¡¡spoke

French¡¡fluently£»¡¡and¡¡delicately¡¡explained¡¡to¡¡her¡¡the¡¡libretto¡¡of¡¡a

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out¡¡of¡¡San¡¡Franciscoand¡¡an¡¡ostensible¡¡visitstill¡¡as¡¡a

speculatorto¡¡one¡¡or¡¡two¡¡mining¡¡districtswith¡¡HER¡¡BROKER¡£¡¡¡¡This

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it¡¡was¡¡a¡¡long¡¡stepand¡¡there¡¡was¡¡a¡¡streak¡¡of¡¡rustic¡¡decorum¡¡in

Mrs¡£¡¡Barker's¡¡naturethe¡¡instinct¡¡that¡¡made¡¡Kitty¡¡Carter¡¡keep¡¡a

perfectly¡¡secluded¡¡and¡¡distinct¡¡sitting¡­room¡¡in¡¡the¡¡days¡¡when¡¡she

served¡¡her¡¡father's¡¡gueststhat¡¡now¡¡had¡¡impelled¡¡her¡¡to¡¡make¡¡it¡¡a

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home¡¡in¡¡her¡¡father's¡¡hotel¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡was¡¡this¡¡instinct¡¡of¡¡the¡¡proprieties

that¡¡had¡¡revived¡¡in¡¡her¡¡suddenly¡¡at¡¡the¡¡door¡¡of¡¡the¡¡old¡¡sitting¡­room¡£



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for¡¡her¡¡vanity¡¡to¡¡accept¡¡Van¡¡Loo's¡¡desertion¡¡as¡¡voluntary¡¡and

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or¡¡artfully¡¡designed¡¡message£¿¡¡¡¡She¡¡was¡¡capable¡¡of¡¡such¡¡meanness¡¡to

insure¡¡the¡¡fulfillment¡¡of¡¡her¡¡prophecy¡£¡¡¡¡Or£»¡¡more¡¡dreadful¡¡thought£»

what¡¡if¡¡she¡¡had¡¡some¡¡hold¡¡on¡¡his¡¡affectionsshe¡¡had¡¡said¡¡that¡¡he

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of¡¡them¡¡both£¡¡¡¡¡What¡¡was¡¡she¡¡doing¡¡in¡¡the¡¡hotel¡¡at¡¡such¡¡a¡¡moment£¿

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her¡¡own£¿¡¡¡¡The¡¡tortures¡¡of¡¡jealousy£»¡¡which¡¡is¡¡as¡¡often¡¡the¡¡incentive

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thought¡¡of¡¡his¡¡abandoning¡¡her£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡conception¡¡of¡¡his

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stable¡­yard¡¡arrested¡¡her¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡ran¡¡to¡¡the¡¡window¡¡which¡¡gave¡¡upon

it£»¡¡and£»¡¡crouching¡¡down¡¡beside¡¡it£»¡¡listened¡¡eagerly¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡clatter

of¡¡hoofs¡¡ceased£»¡¡the¡¡stableman¡¡was¡¡talking¡¡to¡¡some¡¡one£»¡¡suddenly

she¡¡heard¡¡the¡¡stableman¡¡say£»¡¡¡¨Mrs¡£¡¡Barker¡¡is¡¡here¡£¡¨¡¡¡¡Her¡¡heart

leaped£»Van¡¡Loo¡¡had¡¡returned¡£


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