"Now—not a word of who she is in the papers, McCann," Kennedy was saying, evidently about Elaine. "You know it wouldn't sound well for La Coste. As for that woman—well, I've got the money back. You can take her off—make the charge."
As the house man left with Mary, I handed Craig his bag. We moved toward the door, and as we stood there a moment with Elaine, he quietly handed over to her the big roll of bills.
She took it, with surprise still written in her big blue eyes. "Oh—thank you—I might have known it was only a blackmail scheme," she cried eagerly.
Craig held out his hand and she took it quickly, gazing into his eyes. Craig bowed politely, not quite knowing what to do under the circumstances.
If he had been less of a scientist, he might have understood the look on her face, but, with a nod to me, he turned, and went.
As she looked first at him, then at the paltry ten thousand in her hand, Elaine stamped her little foot in vexation.
"I'm glad I DIDN'T say anything more," she cried. "No—no—he shall beg my pardon first—there!"
CHAPTER XIII
THE DEVIL WORSHIPPERS
Elaine was seated in the drawing room with Aunt Josephine one afternoon, when her lawyer, Perry Bennett, dropped in unexpectedly.