"
"That's the first compliment you've ever paid me! Thanks all the same,
though I'd be the opposite of clever if I thought you wanted me to be
flattered. You're clever, too, so of course you know what I mean as well
as I know myself. Perhaps you thought I was being clever on the sly. But
I'm above that. Haven't I always showed you my cards, trumps and joker
and all?"
"You've shown me how the knave can take a trick!"
He laughed. "History repeating itself! The Queen of Hearts, you
remember--and the Knave of--Spades, wasn't it? I wish it were diamonds
instead: but maybe his spade will dig up a few sparklers in the end.
I've got a splendid plan brewing. But that isn't what I want to talk
about just now. In fact, I _don't_ want to talk about it--yet! You're
not going to admit that you see the results of my cleverness, or that
you'd understand them if you did see. So I'll just wave them under your
darling nose."
It would have been absurd to say: "How dare you call my nose a darling?"
so I said nothing at all.
"You saw it was a plot, getting Brian to go to Paris with us," he went
on. "I saw that you saw it. But I wasn't sure and I'm not sure now, if
you realized its design, as the villain of the piece would remark."
"_You_ ought to know what he'd remark."
"I do, dear villainess! I was going to say, '_Sister_ Villainess,' but I
wouldn't have you for a sister at any price. I've cast you for a
different part.
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