“Indeed!” drawled Sir Lucien. “Possibly you are right. Others have said the same thing.”
“You have lots of money now. Your investments have been good. You want to become respectable, eh?”
Pyne smiled sardonically.
“Respectability is a question of appearance,” he replied. “The change to which you refer would seem to go deeper.”
“Very likely,” murmured Mrs. Sin. “I know why you don’t smoke. You have promised your pretty little friend that you will stay awake and see that nobody tries to cut her sweet white throat.”
Sir Lucien listened imperturbably.
“She is certainly nervous,” he admitted coolly. “I may add that I am sorry I brought her here.”
“Oh,” said Mrs. Sin, her voice rising half a note. “Then why do you bring her to the House?”
“She made the arrangement herself, and I took the easier path. I am considering your interests as much as my own, Lola. She is about to marry Monte Irvin, and if his suspicions were aroused he is quite capable of digging down to the ‘Hundred Raptures.’”
“You brought her to Kazmah’s.”