The Mission of Poubalov — page 173: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— WHAT PAUL PALOVNA SAW. 169 prised if I do not make some discovery before my time is up.’ Intent upon being on the ground, where he could watch every movement of Poubalov, he hurried back to Bulfinch Place, and sat himself down to ag time with books un- til the spy should come in. All day long Clara heeded her uncle’s injunction to rest, but that was because there was nothing she could do. Moreover, she expected Poubalov, and she was more than anxious to be at home to receive him. He came about five | o'clock. The young ladies were refreshing themselves with tea, and Louise, who never ceased to be amazed at her cousin’s proceedings, almost gasped when she saw Clara greet him cordially and hasten to get a cup for him. One would not have expected Poubalov to show fatigue, if he ever felt it, but if he were not weary on this occa- sion, something had occurred to disturb him. His eyes were heavy, his accent harder to understand than usual, and it was rot until several minutes had passed, and he had drank freely of tea, that he spoke with anything like _hiscustomary masterful confidence. Clara led the conversa- tion at the start. After the first greetings she referred to the episode in ths car, saying: ‘*T should hava thought you would suffer as I did from the shock of that terrible assault. It was dreadful to look at, and how much more dreadful to be the intended vic- _ tim.”’ — ‘*You are mistaken, Miss Hilman,’’ responded the spy; _ ‘the very shock of the blow convinced me that I was un- harmed. There was therefore no more occasion for alarm on my part than as if a book had fallen from the rack upon my head.’’ “But, really, I supposed the worst had happened,”’ in- sisted Clara, ‘‘for you not only fell but you gasped——’’ “Naturally. To put it roughly, the fellow knocked the breath out of me.’’ ‘*And have you heard nothing of Litizki?”’ Poubalov looked at her gravely as he answered : _ NICLOOOKS (C(O inn