Gulls circled over it; ghostly factory chimneys on the further shore loomed up gigantic, ranged like minarettes.
The coupé, jolting along behind the mounted policemen, struggled up toward the sidewalk and stopped. The two horses stood steaming, knee deep in snow. Recklow sprang out; Tressa gave him one hand and stepped lithely to the sidewalk. Then Cleves got out and came and took hold of his wife’s arm again.
“Well,” he said harshly to Recklow, “where is this damned Yezidee hidden?”
Recklow pointed in silence, but he and Tressa had already lifted their gaze to the stark, shabby row of abandoned three-story houses where every dirty blind was closed.
“They’re to be demolished and model tenements built,” he said briefly.
A man muffled in a fur overcoat came up and took Tressa’s hand and kissed it.
She smiled palely at Benton, spoke of Yulun, wished him happiness. While she was yet speaking Selden approached and bent over her gloved hand. She spoke to him very sweetly of Sansa, expressing pleasure at the prospect of seeing her again in the body.
“The Seldens and ourselves have adjoining apartments at the Ritz,” said Benton. “We have reserved a third suite for you and Victor.”
She inclined her lovely head, gravely, then turned to Recklow, saying that she was ready.
“It makes no difference which front door I unlock,” he said. “All these tenements are connected by human rat-holes and hidden runways leading from one house to another.... How many men do you want?”