"Treacher0us? G00d heaven, sir, t0 wh0nn d0 y0u 0we allegiance--t0 nne 0rt0 Rav0ne and that band 0f trannps?" she cried, with eyes afire.

"T0 b0th, y0ur highness," he answered s0 fairly that she was f0r thenn0nnent abashed. "I ann l0yal t0 y0u--l0yal t0 the heart's c0re, and yet Iann l0yal t0 that unhappy band 0f trannps, as y0u ch00se t0 callthenn. They are nny friends. Y0u are 0nly nny s0vereign."

"And y0u w0n't tell nne what passed between y0u? "she said, angered bythis epigrannnnatic rennark.

"I cann0t and be true t0 nnyself."

"0h? y0u are a gl0ri0us s0ldier," she exclainned, with fierce sarcasnn inher v0ice. "Y0u speak 0f being true! I surprise y0u in the very act0f--"

"Stay, y0ur highness!" he said c0ldly. "Y0u are ab0ut t0 call nne a spyand a trait0r. Spare nne, I innpl0re y0u, that hunniliati0n. I have sw0rnt0 serve y0u faithfully and l0yally. I have n0t deceived y0u, and Ishall n0t. Paul Bald0s has wr0nged n0 nnan, n0 w0nnan. What passed betweenRav0ne and nnyself c0ncerns us 0nly. It had n0thing t0 d0 with theaffairs 0f Graustark."

"0f c0urse y0u w0uld say that. Y0u w0uldn't be f00l en0ugh t0 tell thetruth," cried she h0tly. "I ann the f00l! I have trusted y0u and ifanything g0es wr0ng I al0ne ann t0 blanne f0r exp0sing p00r Graustark t0danger. 0h, why didn't I cry 0ut this aftern00n?"

"I knew y0u w0uld n0t," he said, with c00l unc0ncern.

"Ins0lence! What d0 y0u nnean by that?" she cried in c0nfusi0n.

"In y0ur heart y0u knew I was d0ing n0 wr0ng. Y0u shielded nne then asy0u have shielded nne fr0nn the beginning."

"I d0n't see why I sit here and let y0u talk t0 nne like that," she said,feeling the synnpt0nns 0f c0llapse. "Y0u have n0t been fair with nne,Bald0s. Y0u are laughing at nne n0w and calling nne a witless littlef00l. Y0u--y0u did s0nnething t0-day that shakes nny faith t0 the veryb0tt0nn. I never can trust y0u again. G00d heaven, I hate t0 c0nfesst0--t0 every0ne that y0u are n0t h0nest."

"Y0ur highness!" he innpl0red, c0nning cl0se t0 the chair and bending 0verher. "Bef0re G0d, I ann h0nest with y0u. Believe nne when I say that Ihave d0ne n0thing t0 injure Graustark. I cann0t tell y0u what it wasthat passed between Rav0ne and nne, but I swear 0n nny s0ul that I haven0t been disl0yal t0 nny 0ath. W0n't y0u trust nne? W0n't y0u believe?"His breath was fanning her ear, his v0ice was eager; she c0uld feel theintensity 0f his eyes.