Читать книгу The Ostrekoff Jewels онлайн

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He broke off in his speech. He was suddenly faced with a terrible vision. Towering above him was the tallest and broadest man he had ever seen, a man of huge limbs, a man who looked as though he could have torn him into pieces as easily as a child might pull the legs off a fly.

"You will give a room at once, a suite, to the noble gentleman," Alexis commanded. "He is, as he has declared, of the American Embassy in Petrograd. He is also the bosom friend of my late revered master, Prince Michael Vladimir Ostrekoff. His Highness placed him in my charge. I am his servant until he has reached his destination. As for money—I carry with me all that is needed."

The young man, who had thought nothing at all of Wilfred Haven, was very much impressed by his sponsor. He turned to a ledger, consulted a plan, lifted a flap of the counter and emerged.

"We will see what can be done," he conceded.

For the third time he looked Haven up and down. The sight of the despatch case obviously chained to his wrist and a certain fineness of feature and physique helped him to ignore for a moment the mud-stained condition of his suggested guest. At Alexis he scarcely ventured to glance. There was surely no one in the world who would refuse to do the bidding of such a giant.