Of course Miss Crabb's name did not appear with the article, save as
one of its subjects, and she saw at once that she had better guard her
secret.
That was a breeze which rustled through Hotel Helicon. Everybody was
supremely indignant; but there was no clue to the traitor who had
thus betrayed everybody's secrets. It would be absurd to suppose that
Miss Crabb was not suspected at once, on account of her constant and
superfluous show of note-making, still there were others who might be
guilty. Crane and Peck were indignant, the former especially ready to
resent to the death any allusion to the details of the duel. Miss Moyne
with the quick insight of a clever and gifted young woman, comprehended
the situation in its general terms and was vexed as much as amused. The
whole thing had to her mind the appearance of a melodramatic, broadly
sensational sketch, in which she had played the part of the innocent,
unconscious, but all-powerful heroine. Indeed the newspaper account
placed her in this unpleasant attitude before a million readers.
"A lucky affair for you, Miss Moyne," said Dufour to her, a few days
later, "you cannot over-reckon the boom it will give to your latest
book. You may expect a pretty round sum with your next copyright
statement."
He spoke with the voice and air of one who knew how to read the signs of
the day.
"But the ridiculous idea of having all this stuff about me going the
rounds of the newspapers!" she responded, her beautiful patrician face
showing just a hint of color.
"Don't care for it a moment," said Dufour, "it will not hurt you."
"The thought of having that hideous picture in all the patent inside
pages of the cheap press, with my name under it, _en toutes lettres_,
and--why it is horrible!" she went on, with trembling lips.
Dufour smiled upon her, as if indulgently, a curious, tender gleam in
his eyes.
"Wait," he said, "and don't allow it to trouble you. The world
discriminates pretty well, after all. It will not hurt you. It's a
mighty boom for you."
She looked at him with a sudden flash in her cheeks and eyes, and
exclaimed almost vehemently: "I will not permit it! They shall not
do it. I cannot bear to be treated as if--as if I were a theatrical
person--a variety actress!"
"My dear Miss Moyne," he hurriedly said, his own face showing a tinge of
embarrassment, "you are taking a wrong point of view, indeed you are.
Wait till you see the out-come." His tone was humble and apologetic as
he continued--"My opinion is that this very thing will quadruple the
sales of your book."
"I don't want them quadrupled," she cried, "just look at that front hair
and that nose!" She held up a newspaper for him to inspect a picture of
herself, a miserable, distorted thing. "It is absolutely disgraceful.
My dresses never fit like that, and who ever saw me with a man's collar
on!"
Tears were in her beautiful eyes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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