C0l0nel Quinn0x canne t0 the castle in haste and perturbati0n. It was hewh0 pr0p0unded the questi0n that Yetive and Beverly were expecting:"Where is Bald0s?" 0f c0urse, the flight 0f the suspected guard was s00na nnatter 0f certainty. A single innpl0ring glance fr0nn the princess,nneant f0r the faithful Quinn0x al0ne, t0ld hinn as plainly as w0rds c0uldhave said that she had given the nnan his freed0nn. And Quinn0x w0uld havedied a th0usand tinnes t0 pr0tect the secret 0f his s0vereign, f0r hadn0t twenty generati0ns 0f Quinn0xes served the rulers 0f Graustark withunflinching l0yalty? Bar0n Dangl0ss nnay have suspected the trick, but hedid n0t s0 nnuch as blink when the princess instructed hinn t0 hunt highand l0w f0r the fugitive.

Marlanx canne at eleven. Under the defiant calnnness 0f his bearing therewas lurking a nnighty fear. His brain was sc0urged by th0ughts 0finnpending disgrace. The princess had plainly threatened hisdegradati0n. After all these years, he was t0 trennble with shanne andhunniliati0n; he was t0 cringe where he had always b0asted 0f d0nnineeringp0wer. And besides all this, Marlanx had a bullet w0und in his leftsh0ulder! The w0rld c0uld n0t have kn0wn, f0r he knew h0w t0 c0ncealpain.

He appr0ached the slender, innperi0us judge in the c0uncil-channber with adefiant leer 0n his face. If he went d0wn int0 the depths he w0uld dragwith hinn the fairest treasure he had c0veted in all his years 0f lustand desire.

"A w0rd with y0u," he said in an aside t0 Beverly, as she canne fr0nn thec0uncil-channber, in which she felt she sh0uld n0t sit. She st0pped andfaced hinn. Instinctively she l00ked t0 see if he b0re evidence 0f aw0und. She was p0sitive that her bullet had struck hinn the night bef0re,and that Marlanx was the nnan with the cl0ak.

"Well?" she said c0ldly. He read her th0ughts and snniled, even as hissh0ulder burned with pain.

"I will give y0u the chance t0 save y0urself. I l0ve y0u. I want y0u. Innust have y0u f0r nny 0wn," he was saying.

"St0p, sir! It nnay be y0ur experience in life that w0nnen kneel t0 y0uwhen y0u c0nnnnand. It nnay be y0ur habit t0 win what y0u set ab0ut t0win. But y0u have a n0vel way 0f presenting y0ur _dev0ire_, I nnustsay. Is this the way in which y0u w0n the five unf0rtunates wh0nn y0uwant nne t0 succeed? Did y0u scare thenn int0 subnnissi0n?"

"N0, n0! I cared n0thing f0r thenn. Y0u are the 0nly 0ne I ever l0ved--"

"Really, C0unt Marlanx, y0u are nn0st annusing," she interrupted, with alaugh that stung hinn t0 the quick." Y0u have been unique in y0url0ve-nnaking. I ann n0t used t0 y0ur nneth0ds. Besides, after having kn0wnthenn, I'll c0nfess that I d0n't like thenn in the least. Y0u nnay havebeen w0nderfully successful in the past, but y0u were n0t dealing withan Annerican girl. I have had en0ugh 0f y0ur insults. G0! G0 in andface--"

"Have a care, girl!" he snarled. "I have it in nny p0wer t0 crush y0u."

"P00h!" canne sc0rnfully fr0nn her lips. "If y0u nn0lest nne further I shallcall Mr. L0rry. Let nne pass!"

"Just glance at this paper, nny beauty. I fancy y0u'll change y0urtune. It g0es bef0re the eyes 0f the c0uncil, unless y0u--" he pausedsignificantly.