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"The Second Latchkey"

Unless, of course, Knight begged
it of her as a favour.
And even then--but somehow she didn't believe, despite certain
appearances, that Knight was anxious to have his old friend near him. He
had the air of one who was paying a debt; and she remembered how he had
said, on the day of their wedding: "We will find a time to pay back the
favours they've done us."
This visit and dinner and introduction to society was perhaps his way of
paying the Countess. Only--was it payment in full, or an instalment?
Annesley wondered.
Vaguely she wondered also what had become of Dr. Torrance and the
Marchese di Morello. Would the next payment be for them, and what form
would it take?
She was far from guessing.
There was no anti-climax that night in the success of the Countess with
her "clients." They were deeply impressed, and even startled. Not one
woman said to herself that she had been tricked into giving the seeress a
"lead." There was nothing in the past hidden from that crystal and the
dark eyes which gazed into it! As for the future, her predictions were
remarkable; and she must have given people flattering accounts of their
characters, as everyone thought the analysis correct.


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