Madame Sara | Page 4

was afraid of me.
The rest of the voyage passed pleasantly enough. The more I saw of
Mrs. Selby and her sister the more I liked them. They were quiet,
simple, and straightforward. I felt sure that they were both as good as
gold.
We parted at Waterloo, Jack and his wife and her sister going to Jack's
house in Eaton Square, and I returning to my quarters in St John's
Wood. I had a house there, with a long garden, at the bottom of which
was my laboratory, the laboratory that was the pride of my life, it being,
I fondly considered, the best private laboratory in London. There I
spent all my spare time making experiments and trying this chemical
combination and the other, living in hopes of doing great things some
day, for Werner's Agency was not to be the end of my career.
Nevertheless, it interested me thoroughly, and I was not sorry to get
back to my commercial conundrums.
The next day, just before I started to go to my place of business, Jack
Selby was announced.
"I want you to help me," he said. "I have been already trying in a sort of
general way to get information about my brother-in-law, but all in vain.
There is no such person in any of the directories. Can you put me on
the road to discovery?"
I said I could and would if he would leave the matter in my hands.
"With pleasure," he replied. "You see how we are fixed up. Neither
Edith nor Bee can get money with any regularity until the man is found.
I cannot imagine why he hides himself."
"I will insert advertisements in the personal columns of the
newspapers," I said, "and request anyone who can give information to

communicate with me at my office. I will also give instructions to all
the branches of my firm, as well as to my head assistants in London, to
keep their eyes open for any news. You may be quite certain that in a
week or two we shall know all about him."
Selby appeared cheered at this proposal and, having begged of me to
call upon his wife and her sister as soon as possible, took his leave.
On that very day advertisements were drawn up and sent to several
newspapers and inquiry agents; but week after week passed without the
slightest result. Selby got very fidgety at the delay. He was never happy
except in my presence, and insisted on my coming, whenever I had
time, to his house. I was glad to do so, for I took an interest both in him
and his belongings, and as to Madame Sara I could not get her out of
my head. One day Mrs. Selby said to me:
"Have you ever been to see Madame? I know she would like to show
you her shop and general surroundings."
"I did promise to call upon her," I answered, "but have not had time to
do so yet."
"Will you come with me tomorrow morning?" asked Edith Dallas,
suddenly.
She turned red as she spoke, and the worried, uneasy expression
became more marked on her face. I had noticed for some time that she
had been looking both nervous and depressed. I had first observed this
peculiarity about her on board the Norham Castle, but, as time went on,
instead of lessening it grew worse. Her face for so young a woman was
haggard; she started at each sound, and Madame Sara's name was never
spoken in her presence without her evincing almost undue emotion.
"Will you come with me?" she said, with great eagerness.
I immediately promised, and the next day, about eleven o'clock, Edith
Dallas and I found ourselves in a hansom driving to Madame Sara's
shop. We reached it in a few minutes, and found an unpretentious little

place wedged in between a hosier's on one side and a cheap
print-seller's on the other. In the windows of the shop were pyramids of
perfume bottles, with scintillating facet stoppers tied with coloured
ribbons. We stepped out of the hansom and went indoors.
Inside the shop were a couple of steps, which led to a door of solid
mahogany.
"This is the entrance to her private house," said Edith, and she pointed
to a small brass plate, on which was engraved the name--"Madame Sara,
Parfumeuse".
Edith touched an electric bell and the door was immediately opened by
a smartly-dressed page-boy. He looked at Miss Dallas as if he knew her
very well, and said:
"Madame is within, and is expecting you, miss."
He ushered us both into a quiet-looking room, soberly but handsomely
furnished. He left us, closing the door. Edith turned to me.
"Do you know where we are?" she asked.
"We