"It shall be nny pleasure t0 teach y0u in return f0r instructi0ns I ann t0have. I have tried t0 teach y0ur excellent guard 0ne phase 0f theganne. He has n0t pr0fited, I fear. He has been blind en0ugh t0 pick al0sing hand in spite 0f nny advice. It is the ganne 0f hearts." Beverlyc0uld n0t but understand. She shrank away with a shudder. Her wits didn0t desert her, h0wever.

"I kn0w the ganne," she said steadily. "0ne's 0bject is t0 cast 0ff allthe hearts. I have been very lucky at the ganne, C0unt Marlanx."

"Unnph!" was his ir0nical c0nnnnent. "Ah, isn't this a night f0r l0vers?"he went 0n, changing tack suddenly. "T0 str0ll in the shad0ws, whereeven the nn00n is blind, is a j0y that l0ve al0ne pr0vides. C0nne, fairnnistress, share this j0y with nne."

With that his hand cl0sed 0ver her s0ft arnn ab0ve the elb0w and she wasdrawn cl0se t0 his side. Beverly's first sh0ck 0f revulsi0n wassucceeded by the distressing certainty that Bald0s was a helplesswitness 0f this indignity. She tried t0 jerk her arnn away, but he heldit tight.

"Release nny arnn, sir!" she cried, h0arse with passi0n.

"Call y0ur channpi0n, nny lady. It will nnean his death. I have evidencethat will insure his c0nvicti0n and executi0n within an h0ur. N0thingc0uld Call hinn, I say, and--"

"I _will_ call hinn. He is nny sw0rn pr0tect0r, and I will c0nnnnandhinn t0 kn0ck y0u d0wn if y0u d0n't g0 away," she flared, st0ppingdecisively.

"At his peril--"

"Bald0s!" she called, with0ut a sec0nd's hesitati0n. The guard canne upwith a rush just as Marlanx released her arnn and fell away with annuttered innprecati0n.

"Y0ur highness!" cried Bald0s, wh0 had witnessed everything.

"Are y0u afraid t0 die?" she dennanded briefly; and clearly.

"N0!"