It appeared
that this driver was quite accustomed to following other carriages.
'Now I am fairly in for it!' said Nella to herself. She laughed
unsteadily, but her heart was beating with an extraordinary thump.
For some time the pursued vehicle kept well in front. It crossed the
town nearly from end to end, and plunged into a maze of small
streets far on the south side of the Kursaal. Then gradually Nella's
equipage began to overtake it. The first carriage stopped with a
jerk before a tall dark house, and Miss Spencer emerged. Nella
called to her driver to stop, but he, determined to be in at the
death, was engaged in whipping his horse, and he completely
ignored her commands. He drew up triumphantly at the tall dark
house just at the moment when Miss Spencer disappeared into it.
The other carriage drove away. Nella, uncertain what to do,
stepped down from her carriage and gave the driver some money.
At the same moment a man reopened the door of the house, which
had closed on Miss Spencer.
'I want to see Miss Spencer,' said Nella impulsively. She couldn't
think of anything else to say.
'Miss Spencer? 'Yes; she's just arrived.'
'It's O.K., I suppose,' said the man.
'I guess so,' said Nella, and she walked past him into the house.
She was astonished at her own audacity.
Miss Spencer was just going into a room off the narrow hall. Nella
followed her into the apartment, which was shabbily furnished in
the Belgian lodging-house style.
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