A BRAZEN PROCEEDING
Mannering opened his eyes lazily. His companion had stopped suddenly in his reading. He appeared to be examining a certain paragraph in the paper with much interest. Mannering stretched out his hand for a match, and relit his cigarette.
"Read it out, Richard," he said. "Don't mind me."
The young man started slightly.
"I am very sorry, sir," he said. "I thought that you were asleep!"
Mannering smiled.
"What about the paragraph?" he asked.
"It is just this," Richard answered, reading. "'The Duchess of Lenchester and Miss Clara Mannering have arrived at Claridge's from the South of Italy.'"
Mannering looked at him keenly.
"I am curious to know which part of that announcement you find so interesting," he said.