Edwin
B. had had to leave high school and go to work. The adopted baby had been
regretfully sent to the Orphans' Home. The little brown house was reefing
all its sails in a vain effort to weather the coming storm.
The one member of the family who soared on wings of hope above the sordid
facts of the situation was Claude Martel. After years of search, he had
at last found the generous benefactor, the noble young patron, who
recognized the merit of his work. They spent hours together elaborating
the plot of "Phantom Love" and discussing every detail of its
construction. Occasionally on Saturday night Mr. Martel would mention
quite confidentially to Quin that, owing to some delayed payments, he was
a little pressed for ready money and that a small loan would be
appreciated. This request invariably resulted in an elaborate Sunday
dinner, capped with a couple of bottles of Haut Sauterne in which Mr.
Martel took the precaution of drinking everybody's health twice over.
Ten days after the Easter party, when Quin had almost despaired of seeing
Eleanor at all, he found her car parked in front of the house when he
returned in the evening. Mounting the front steps two at a time, he
opened the door with his latch-key, then paused with his hand still on
the knob.
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