“And now that he has brought it, Jacqueline?”
“If this is the da Sestos casket, I must keep my word.”
“Then I do assure you that it is not. Do you hear me, Jacqueline? I swear to you that this is not the da Sestos casket. I will prove to you that this Duke da Sestos is the liar and cheat that I have long suspected him to be.”
She looked at me without speaking, but her face was suddenly transfigured. My courage came back by leaps and bounds. I felt instinctively that the day was not yet lost.
“And how will the ingenious Mr. Hume accomplish that delightful task?” demanded a cold voice. The duke walked in.
“How shall I do that, Duke da Sestos?” I repeated passionately. “I shall do that by bringing to Miss Quintard the real da Sestos casket before the week is over.”
“You are promising a great deal, my friend,” he sneered.
For the second time since we had met on the Piazza we looked steadily at each other. It was to be the last grapple now.
“Will you wait that week, Jacqueline, before you listen to Duke da Sestos?” I pleaded.
The duke made a gesture of entreaty. “Miss Quintard can not do that without showing that she doubts my word.”