R. Austin Freeman

“ I am very gratified at possessing the ornament."
"Gratified indeed!" said Sylvia. "I consider such vanity most unsuitable to a person of your age. But they are very charming, and there is quite a little story attached to them. My father and a cousin of his---"
"By marriage," interposed Miss Vyne.
"You needn't insist on that," said Sylvia, "as if poor old Vitalia were a person to be ashamed of. Well, my father and this cousin were at a Jesuit school in Belgium—at Louvain, in fact—and among the teachers in the school was an Italian Jesuit named Giglioli. ”

“ What young lady indeed! Why, Miss Vyne, to be sure; and a very sweet young lady she is, and talked to me just as simple and friendly as if she'd been an ordinary young woman."
"How do you know that she isn't an ordinary young woman?" I asked.
Mrs. Blunt was shocked. "Do you suppose, Mr. Jardine, sir," she demanded severely, "that I who have been a head parlor-maid in a county family where my poor husband was coachman, don't know a real gentlewoman when I meet one? ”

“ I ventured to say as Miss Vyne raised a sort of semaphore arm to my extended hand.
"I see no reason why you should not," she replied judicially. "You seem to be a well-disposed young man, though indiscreet. Good-afternoon."
I bowed deferentially and then, to my gratification, was escorted as far as the garden gate by Sylvia; who evidently wished to gather my impressions of her relative, for, as she let me out, she asked with a mischievous smile:
"What do you think of my aunt, Dr. Jardine?"
"She is rather a terrifying old lady," I replied.
Sylvia giggled delightedly. ”

“ She is a most complete impostor. I'll tell you a secret, Dr. Jardine," Sylvia added in a mysterious whisper, as we shook hands over the gate. "She trades on her nose. I've told her so. Her nose is her fortune, and she plays it for all it's worth. ”

“ He must have had some reason for claiming the crucifix as his, one would think; and as these are quite unlike any ordinary commercial jewelry, the suggestion is that the worthy Giglioli was tempted to repeat his successes. What do you think?"
"I think," said Miss Vyne, "that the suggestion is inadmissable. Father Giglioli was an artist, and an artist does not repeat himself."
"I am inclined to agree with my aunt," said Sylvia. "An artist does not care to repeat a design, excepting for a definite purpose, as in the case of these duplicates ”

“ When you didn't come home that night—which Susan and me sat up for you until three in the morning—I thought there must be something wrong, you being so regular in your habits; so next day, the very first thing, I took his card from your mantelpiece and down I went to his office and told him what had happened. He came up here that evening to see if you had come home, and he's been here every day since to inquire."
"Has he really?"
"Yes. In a hansom cab. Every single day. And so has the young lady." ”

“ The little man gave me a quick, bird-like glance of obviously heightened interest. "If you are Dr. Humphrey Jardine," said he, "I think a few explanatory words would be acceptable. The Doctor has been extremely uneasy about you. ”