We shall - what you call, kill two birds with one stone.'
Prince Aribert's guess was correct. The lady's carriage stopped in
front of the house where Nella Racksole and Miss Spencer had had
their interview on the previous evening, and the lady vanished into
the building just as the two men appeared at the end of the street.
Instead of proceeding along that street, the Prince led Racksole to
the lane which gave on to the backs of the houses, and he counted
the houses as they went up the lane. In a few minutes they had
burglariously climbed over a wall, and crept, with infinite caution,
up a long, narrow piece of ground - half garden, half paved yard,
till they crouched under a window - a window which was shielded
by curtains, but which had been left open a little.
'Listen,' said the Prince in his lightest whisper, 'they are talking.'
'Who?'
'The Berlin lady and Miss Spencer. I'm sure it's Miss Spencer's
voice.'
Racksole boldly pushed the french window a little wider open, and
put his ear to the aperture, through which came a beam of yellow
light.
'Take my place,' he whispered to the Prince, 'they're talking
German. You'll understand better.'
Silently they exchanged places under the window, and the Prince
listened intently.
'Then you refuse?' Miss Spencer's visitor was saying.
There was no answer from Miss Spencer.
'Not even a thousand francs? I tell you I've lost the whole
twenty-five thousand.
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