I found that I had mechanically picked up
my bag as I left the room overhead.
"I want to thank you, Mr. Lester," said Mrs. Magnus, facing me, "for
coming here to-night. You have been of the greatest help to me."
"Certainly," I agreed. "Very happy--a great privilege."
I felt that I was talking nonsense, but what, in Heaven's name, is a
man to say who has just been through an experience like that? But Mrs.
Magnus seemed to understand.
"Thank you," she said, and gave me her hand. Then she opened the
street door, and a moment later I found myself groping my way down the
steps. Once down, I paused for a deep breath; then I started up the
street. But I had scarcely taken a dozen steps when a hand fell upon
my arm and drew me into the shadow of a doorway.
CHAPTER IV
For an instant, with the thought of spirits still upon me, I tried to
shake away the hand; then, as I started around at my assailant, I saw
that it was Godfrey.
"Well, Lester," he said, "did you leave the fifty thousand?"
I nodded; I was even yet scarcely capable of connected speech.
Godfrey looked at me curiously.
"You look like you'd seen a ghost," he said.
"I have."
He laughed amusedly.
"Peter Magnus?"
I nodded.
"How is the old boy?"
"Look here, Godfrey," I said, "this isn't a thing to speak of in that
tone. There's something sacred about it."
His face sobered as he looked at me. It grew serious enough to suit
even my mood.
"So you were imposed on, too," he said at last.
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