Page:Rowland--The closing net.djvu/223

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THE COUNTESS ROSALIE
205

earned a scholarship from the French Government by getting nabbed while trying to lift Kharkov's wad at Auteuil a couple of years before.

So it wasn't surprising that Rosalie had some trouble to place me, or that she began to get a little suspicious and resentful about the way I had commandeered her motor and herself. She seemed a little sulky as we leaned together over the carburetter, but it wasn't in her nature to wear a grouch for long, and when I had located the trouble in the feed-pipe and got it cleaned out and flowing properly again her smile had come back, and we seemed to be getting to be friends again.

There was no hurry about anything for the present, as Léontine would be at Hertzfeld's for the next three hours or so, and I was pretty sure that Chu-Chu would wait to take her home. Besides, a plan was buzzing round in my head, and I wanted to study it out a bit. This was a scheme for coming to grips with Chu-Chu by letting him spot me and do the stalking himself. It was a scheme that I felt pretty sure would work, and was rather like hunting a tiger by ramming round through the ungle at night, pretending to be a sheep or a kid.

But to work it right I needed Rosalie's help, and although I could not see how she would be in any danger herself, I wanted her to know and believe just what I was up against. So as soon as we had finished with the carburetter I said:

"Madame, I am afraid that you don't believe what I have told you about this affair. Some of the things I have said were true and some were not. I have now formed a plan, but before going ahead