Explore "The Duke of York's Steps" by Henry Wade on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Inez Fratten, on hearing from the sedate Miss Gilling that the scent she had been trying to trace to Ryland's mysterious charmer had been actually bought by Ryland himself, felt a chill of apprehension creep over her -- a chill so vivid as to be almost physical. What could it mean? It was possible, of course, that Ryland had given it to the girl himself, but from the way he had spoken of it -- as a possible clue to her identity -- that seemed quite out of the question. A reference to Miss Gilling confirmed this view; the last purchase had been made several weeks -- possibly two months -- ago, and Ryland had said that he had only met the girl about a fortnight previously.
Was Ryland lying, then? The thought sickened her. That he should lie to her, and at such a time, would have seemed to Inez impossible had she not known, only too well, the streaks of baser metal in Ryland's alloy -- he was weak, if not worse, about both women and money; might he not also be a liar -- a liar of this calibre? And if a liar, a liar to her, Inez, about so desperately serious a subject, might he not be even worse? Inez shuddered again as the thought forced itself upon her.