"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 007 - The Silent Seven" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

There were two men waiting in the room.

One, a quietly-dressed young man, had a worried expression on his pale face. The other was perhaps
forty years of age, a tall, debonair type of man, dressed immaculately in evening clothes. He was smoking
a cigarette in the end of a long holder. His ease of manner contrasted with the nervousness of his younger
companion.

Both men arose to greet the new arrival. The young man spoke quickly.

"I am glad you are here, Mister Marchand," he said. His tone indicated anxiety.

"I thought it best to return, Willis," said the old man, in a peculiar, peevish voice.

He looked sharply at the young man. Then he turned to the one in evening clothes and stared at him,
questioningly.

"What brings you here, Paget?" he demanded.

The man removed his cigarette holder from his lips.

"I learned that you were returning, Mister Marchand," he said, with quiet deliberation. "I thought that you
might wish to see me to-night."

"Willis," said the old man abruptly, "I told you to say nothing to any one."

"But Mister Paget knew of the attempted burglary," explained the young man. "He came here that night;
happened to be passing at the time. I thought that he -"

"Very well," interrupted Marchand. "Who else knows about it?"

"Only Oscar."

The old man turned toward the door. The silent servant had entered. Marchand looked toward him, but
did not speak.

Something in Marchand's eyes indicated that he was questioning the truth of Willis's statement. Oscar
detected the look and nodded in corroboration.

Satisfied, the old man sat down in an easy-chair. Willis and Paget also took seats. Oscar remained
standing by the door.

"Tell me about it," said Marchand, in a querulous tone.

"A WEEK ago," began Willis, in a hesitating tone, "something occurred that -"

"A week ago?" demanded Marchand sharply.

"ErтАФyes, a week ago," replied Willis, uneasily. "That was the first time. But then we suspected nothing -"