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“I’m afraid I am not familiar with the book’s contents—which does not surprise me,” said the earl “My collection is so extensive and the dedon’s interest was purely acadereat reliance upon conjunctions of certain planets and sacrifices to their pagan deities? Hardly the sort of theories to put to scientific experiment, I should think”
Though he spoke casually, Lord Streetha at full speed The massive tome Jack had clutched the panicked look he’d darted at Des odd not thick and rough-edged—because, perhaps, they had never required to be cut?
Lady Potterby sighed “I do not knohat Mr Langdon was thinking—who ever does? But he was a perfect sight when he carave diggers in Hamlet, and asked whether they’d unearthed poor Yorick’s skull” She did not notice the earl’s slight start “Delilah’s maid declares she will never be able to remove the stains fro toward the corner s, her brow knit “Now I think of it, I do not recall seeing the book again Dear arden He is dreadfully absentminded, you know”
Lord Streethah what he perceived was in hisreality of what had occurred
It had been Des, and the earl hiiven it to Jack Then Jack, so easilyand buried it—there, just a few steps away, in the garden
Not the slightest flicker of excitement was visible in his lordship’s countenance, however, as he turned back to his hostess to agree in a good-natured, avuncular way that Jack was indeed absentminded
“We are still collecting articles that he left behind, poor fellow,” he said with a small smile “When his valet is not with him, one can only pray he will not present hiet the book, and one day he will appear upon your doorstep, flustered and e for it”
“One day!” cried Lady Potterby “In the middle of February, no doubt Good heavens, that fine volu in the dirt yet—and we have had two storms since Friday I had better send one of the servants to look”
Lord Streetham rose “No need for that You’ve made me most curious about his experiment If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a look myself”
They went out to the garden, where they found the plants, as Lady Potterby had predicted, in various stages of decline The book, however, was nowhere to be seen
Lord Streethaone flower bed “You know,” he said thoughtfully, “I wouldn’t put it past the lad to have inadvertently buried the book in the process of turning the soil”
“Buried it! Good heavens, he could not be so muddled as that—and with Delilah by Surely she would have noticed”
“If Jack was declaiiven all her concentration to follow his discourse,” said the earl smoothly “I think I had better find a spade”
Less than an hour later, Lord Streetham was once more upon the road A thick tolance at the contents had been sufficient to assure him of what he’d found
Obtaining possession of the voluing hi staff to know of Mr Langdon’s folly Then the earl had only to express the charitable wish to have the book repaired secretly, to spare Jack embarrassment Lord Streetham had solemnly assured Lady Potterby the restored volu man All they had to do was keep the ood fellow, and absents, was it not?
Lady Potterby, properly inaniument
While his father was returning ho discontentedly in the general direction of France To soothe his troubled soul, he compared his beloved’s hair to a waterfall of black pearls, her ears to shells, her lips to pink oysters, and her eyes to the rolling ocean He made a mental note to jot down these revelations for future use as soon as he returned to his lodgings
He gazed with lackluster eyes upon a fancy bit of ly as she passed He looked away towards the ocean oncenot quite so productive as when perfor tomorrow
Lord Streetham closed the cover of the book and s