But I cared little for this; all I wanted to know was whether Mr.Blake would approach her or not during the evening.
Tediously the moments passed; but a detective on duty, or on fancied duty, succumbs to no weariness.

I had a woman before me worth studying and the time could not be thrown away.

I learned to know her beauty; the poise of her head, the flush of her cheek, the curl of her lip, the glance--yes, the glance of her eye, though that was more difficult to understand, for she had a way of drooping her lids at times that, while exceedingly effective upon the poor wretch toward whom she might be directing that half-veiled shaft of light, was anything but conducive to my purposes.
At length with a restless shrug of her haughty shoulders she turned away from her crowd of adorers, her breast heaving under its robing of garnet velvet, and her whole face flaring with a light that might mean resolve and might mean simply love.

I had no need to turn my head to see who was advancing towards her; her stately attitude as countess, her thrilling glance as woman, betrayed only too readily.
He was the more composed of the two.

Bowing over her hand with a few words I could not hear, he drew back a step and began uttering the usual common-place sentiments of the occasion.
She did not respond.