THE AMAZING MARRIAGE
No one opposing him, Mr. Van Pycke carefully made his way to the door and disappeared into the hall. Miss Downing continued to stare after him for many seconds, plainly perplexed. She was not so transfixed, however, that she failed to note the grotesque misfit of his trousers; nor did his manner of locomotion escape her attention. Could this hobbling, ill-dressed person be the fastidious Van Dieman Van Pycke, of whom she had heard so much?
And he was going upstairs to—by the virtue of all the saints, what did he mean?
A blush raced into her fair cheek. She turned to young Mr. Van Pycke with parted lips, half inclined to smile, half to protest. She found him smiling, yes, more than that; he had his hand over his mouth. Plainly, he was having a struggle of an inward character.
"I—I don't understand," she murmured, the flush growing.
"And we don't understand," he responded after a moment, waving his hand in the direction of the dummies.
She smiled brightly. "You've noticed them?"
"Noticed them?" he repeated. He intended to say more, but a sudden, sickening doubt interfered. However, a quick, rather penetrating glance reassured him. Mr. Doxey had wrapped a rug about the unfortunate gentleman and was now engaged in making room for him behind the Steinway grand. The young lady's glance followed Bosworth's.
"What is he doing?" she demanded, starting forward. "Those wax figures are not to be disturbed."
Bosworth stayed her with a gesture. "You must not interfere with an officer in the discharge of his duty," he said with great gravity.