Nothing daunted the Black Palmer impudently stripped the golden mask
from her face. The soft yellow light of the Venetian lamp in the tree
above her fell full upon the lovely oval of a face so peculiar in its
striking beauty of line and vivid coloring that he fell back staring.
"Lord, what a face!" exclaimed the Greek, too taken aback to resent the
Palmer's insolence.
And the Bedouin rumbled: "Exquisite! But she is not of your land.
Italian, Spanish, or some bizarre mingling of strange races, but none
of your colder lands!"
Now as the Black Palmer stared at the dark, accusing eyes of the girl,
a singular thing occurred. His cloak of impudence fell suddenly from
his shoulders and returning the golden mask, he bowed and begged her
pardon with unmistakable deference.
"Let a humbled Palmer," he said quietly, "pay his sincerest homage to
the most beautiful woman he has even seen." And as the girl moved
proudly away, the strain of fantastic music which followed her was
subtly deferential.
CHAPTER XXX
THE UNMASKING
At midnight a mellow chime rang somewhere by the cypress pool.
Laughing and jesting, calling to one another, the masked crowd moved
off to the vine-hung villa ahead, gleaming moon-white through the
shrubbery.
Pages:
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217