"My dear," she heard Lady Steele's voice say, "I am deeply interested in what you are reading, but might I suggest that we proceed to the next paragraph? You have read that one three times."
Lady Dorothy blushed, and hurriedly turned her attention to the paper.
"I beg your pardon," she said, with an air of confusion, "I was——"
"In a day dream, I fancy, in which admiration for another person figured prominently," retorted the old lady. "I think I shall have to get the dear Count to read to me; he has such a charming voice. By the way, where can he be? I haven't seen him since breakfast time."
At the present moment, the Count was comfortably ensconced in a chair behind the library windows, and intent on perusing a recently arrived copy of the Figaro.
The library faced the terrace, and as the Earl passed with Winn he glanced casually into the long dark room. It appeared to be empty, for the window curtains effectually concealed the Count from view. The Earl caught hold of two chairs, and placed them in the shade.
"So you really think the scheme has a good chance?" he asked, anxiously.
Winn puffed a cloud of smoke from his cigar, as he dropped into a chair.
"Yes," he said at length, "I am confident that we shall succeed. I do not think it possible that anyone can have the least suspicion of my discoveries in the Vaarg Valley, or of what we contemplate doing there. We shall be first in the field."
Behind the curtains, the Figaro dropped slowly in the Count's hands. An alert look came into his eyes, and he moved his head nearer to the window.