"Chelsea Quinn Yarbro - The Spider Glass" - читать интересную книгу автора (Yarbro Chelsea Quinn)

the foreigner was going to leave so that she could at last try to take his purse. There was no one else on
the street; even the beggars had found whatever shelter they could.тАЭ

тАЬSounds a foolish thing to do, wait up half the night for a man to walk out of his house. Not very sensible
of her.тАЭ Twilford looked to the others to support him.

тАЬAll the women in our family are like that,тАЭ Dominick said, at once proud and disgusted.

тАЬShe was desperate,тАЭ the sixth guest said.

тАЬIn her journal,тАЭ Whittenfield went on more sharply, тАЬshe remarks that it must have been an hour until
dawn when the man came out. She did not remark him at first, because he was dressed all in black, and
at night, in the shadow of the buildings, he was little more than another shadow.тАЭ
тАЬHe was a knowing one,тАЭ Lord Graveston said to the air. тАЬShould stay away from such men, if I were
her.тАЭ

тАЬBut she didnтАЩt,тАЭ Whittenfield put in, downing the last of his wine before going on. тАЬShe couldnтАЩt, you
see. She says herself that hunger and worry had driven her slightly mad. She believed that there was no
other course, but when she saw the man start away from the building, she all but failed. It was only the
click of his heels on the pavement that alerted her to his departure. It may be that she dozed, though her
journal insists that she did not. However it was, she did not have quite the element of surprise she wished
for and took after him, stumbling in the dark so that the foreigner turned and reached out a hand to her to
keep her from falling.тАЭ

тАЬDid she abandon the idea of robbing him then?тАЭ Lord Graveston asked as he filled his pipe a second
time.

тАЬNo,тАЭ Whittenfield said with half a smile. тАЬShe thought this might be to her advantage, so she leaned up
against the man and reached out for his belt. You know how they wore them then, over the padded
doublet and a trifle below the waist in front? She thought she might be able to release the buckle and pull
the whole belt away. Most men carried their purses on their belts in those times, and if she got the belt
she would also have the purse.тАЭ

тАЬA clever woman,тАЭ said Peter Hamworthy, who had been listening in silence. тАЬSurprising she had so
much gumption.тАЭ

Whittenfield glanced over at the speaker. тАЬGracious, Peter, I thought you were asleep,тАЭ he said with
sarcastic sweetness.

тАЬNot quite, merely dozing a bit,тАЭ Hamworthy responded affably. тАЬIтАЩm finding your tale, though circuitous,
interesting.тАЭ

тАЬYou relieve me,тАЭ Whittenfield said, then went on. тАЬIтАЩve told you that it was a cold night, a very cold
night, and that SabrinaтАЩs hands and feet were chilled. This probably accounted, at least in part, for her
ineptness. She had not stolen before, and with her hands nearly blue with cold she had little control of her
fingers, which fumbled on the buckle. The foreigner seized her hands in his and held her securely.тАЭ

тАЬAnd then he called the Watch, and she was taken along to join her husband in gaol. And that still
doesnтАЩt explain about the glass,тАЭ Twilford said, exasperated.