[The Czar’s Spy by William Le Queux]@TWC D-Link book
The Czar’s Spy

CHAPTER II
13/27

Rather tall and slim.

Her hair was fair, I noticed, but she wore a black veil which concealed her features." "Was she young or old ?" "Young--from her figure," replied the police agent.

"As she passed me her eyes met mine, and I thought I saw a strange fixed kind of glare in them--the look of a woman filled with some unspeakable horror." Next day the town of Leghorn awoke to find itself gay with bunting, the Italian and English flags flying side by side everywhere, and the Consular standard flapping over the Consulate in the piazza.

In the night the British Mediterranean fleet, cruising down from Malta, had come into the roadstead, and at the signal from the flagship had maneuvered and dropped anchor, forming a long line of gigantic battleships, swift cruisers, torpedo-boat destroyers, torpedo-boats, despatch-boats, and other craft extending for several miles along the coast.
In the bright morning sunlight the sight was both picturesque and imposing, for from every vessel flags were flying, and ever and anon the great battleship of the Admiral made signals which were repeated by all the other vessels, each in turn.

Lying still on those calm blue waters was a force which one day might cause nations to totter, the overwhelming force which upheld Britain's right in that oft-disputed sea.
A couple of thousand British sailors were ashore on leave, their white caps conspicuous in the streets everywhere as they walked orderly in threes and fours to inspect the town.


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