"Charles L. Harness - The Rose" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harness Charles L)

"I do," came the solemn reply.

Anna stiffened.
Martha Jacques smiled thinly. "Who is she?"

"Miss Ethel Twinkham, my old spelling teacher. How are you, Miss Twinkham? What brings you out of
retirement?"

"I'm not Miss Twinkham," said Anna dryly. "My name is Anna van Tuyl. For your information, we met
last night in the Via Rosa."

"Oh! Of course!" He laughed happily. "I seem to remember now, quite indistinctly. And I want to
apologize, Miss Twinkham. My behavior was execrable, I suppose. Anyway, if you will just leave the bill
for damages with Mrs. Jacques, her lawyer will take care of everything. You can even throw in ten per
cent, for mental anguish."

Anna felt like clapping her hands in glee. The whole Security office was no match for this fiend.

"You're getting last night mixed up with the night before," snapped Martha Jacques. "You met Miss van
Tuyl last night. You were with her several hours. Don't lie about it."

Again Ruy Jacques peered earnestly into Anna's face. He finally shook his head. "Last night? Well, I can't
deny it. Guess you'll have to pay up, Martha. Her face is familiar, but I just can't remember what I did to
make her mad. The bucket of paint and the slumming dowager was last week, wasn't it?"

Anna smiled. "You didn't injure me. We simply danced together on the square, that's all. I'm here at Mrs.
Jacques' request." From the corner of her eye she watched Martha Jacques and the colonel exchange
questioning glances, as if to say, "Perhaps there is really nothing between them."

But the scientist was not completely satisfied. She turned her eyes on her husband. "It's a strange
coincidence that you should come just at this time. Exactly why are you here, if not to becloud the issue
of this woman and your future psychiatrical treatment? Why don't you answer? What is the matter with
you?"

For Ruy Jacques stood there, swaying like a stricken satyr, his eyes coals of pain in a face of anguish
flames. He contorted backward once, as though attempting to placate furious fangs tearing at the hump
on his back.

Anna leaped to catch him as he collapsed.

He lay cupped in her lap moaning voicelessly. Something in his hump, which lay against her left breast,
seethed and raged like a genie locked in a bottle.

"Colonel Grade," said the psychiatrist quietly, "you will order an ambulance. I must analyze this pain
syndrome at the clinic immediately."

Ruy Jacques was hers.

Chapter Six
"Thanks awfully for coming, Matt," said Anna warmly.