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"Recall this paragraph," he said gently We made our way down Fifth, a street that is never empty, or dark He quoted the lines to netic chain of hu the chaeons of our coht to share in all its secrets; he was now a cold observer, looking on th, convertingthe wires that rees of crime as were demanded for his study ' "

I said nothing I wanted to protest, but it was not an honest thing to do I wanted to say that I would never, never treat huer, das Honesty had undone her andofabout himself, the distance he felt now froun to be Ethan Brand

"Let an to quote again " 'Thus Ethan Brand becaan to be so from the moment that his moral nature had ceased to keep the pace of improvement with his intellect¡ª' " He broke off

I didn't reply

"That's our damnation," he whispered "Our rows by leaps and bounds "

Still I said nothing What was I to say? Despair was so faht of a beautiful mannikin in theIt could be dispelled by the spectacle of lights surrounding a tower It could be lifted by the great ghostly shape of St Patrick's coain

Meaningless, I almost said, aloud, but what came from my lips was completely different

"I have Dora to think of," I said

Dora

"Yes, and thanks to you," he said, "I have Dora too, now don't I?"

Chapter 6

6

HOW AND when and what to tell Dora? That was the question The journey we ht

There was no sign of Louis at the town house in the Rue Royale, but this was by nomore and more often, and he had been seen once by David in the company of Armand in Paris The town house was spotless, a dreas, luscious wallpaper, and the finest carpets to be found

David, of course, was fah he hadn't seen it in over a year One of the many picture-perfect bedrooeous Turkish tables and screens, still held the coffin in which he had slept during his brief and first Stay here as one of the Undead