Anisty to his inner man, sitting back
to facilitate the service of their meal.
The girl placated him with an insignificant remark which led both into a
maze of meaningless but infinitely diverting inconsequences; diverting, at
least, to Anisty, who held up his head, giving her back look for look,
jest for jest, platitude for platitude (when the waiter was within hearing
distance): altogether, he felt, acquitting himself very creditably....
As for the girl, in the course of the next half or three-quarters of an
hour she demonstrated herself conclusively a person of amazing resource,
developing with admirable ingenuity a campaign planned on the spur of a
chance observation. The gentle mannered and self-sufficient crook was taken
captive before he realized it, however willing he may have been. Enmeshed
in a hundred uncomprehended subtleties, he basked, purring, the while
she insinuated herself beneath his guard and stripped him of his entire
armament of cunning, vigilance, invention, suspicion, and distrust.
He relinquished them without a sigh, barely conscious of the spoliation.
After all, she was of his trade, herself mired with guilt; she would never
dare betray him, the consequences to herself would be so dire.
Besides, patently,--almost too much so,--she admired him. He was her hero.
Had she not more than hinted that such was the case, that his example, his
exploits, had fired her to emulation--however weakly feminine?... He saw
her before him, dainty, alluring, yielding, yet leading him on: altogether
desirable.
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