"That was beautiful," murmured Beverly, looking up, fascinated for the
moment.
"Oh, that I had the courage to enlist," he cried, bending low once
more. She felt the danger in his voice, half tremulous with some thing
more than loyalty, and drew her hand away from a place of instant
jeopardy. It was fire that she was playing with, she realized with a
start of consciousness. Sweet as the spell had grown to be, she saw that
it must be shattered.
"It has been dark for half an hour, your highness," said he, drawing
himself up with sudden rigidness that distressed her. "Are you going to
return to the castle?"
"Yes. They'll have out a searching party pretty soon if I don't appear."
"You have been good to me to-day," he said thoughtfully. "I shall try to
merit the kindness. Let me--"
"Oh, please don't talk in that humble way! It's ridiculous! I'd rather
have you absolutely impertinent, I declare upon my honor I would. Don't
you remember how you talked when you wore the red feather? Well, I liked
it."
Baldos laughed easily, happily. His heart was not very humble, though
his voice and manner were.
"Red is the color of insolence, you mean."
"It's a good deal jauntier than blue," she declared.
"Before you call the bearers, Miss--your highness, I wish to retract
something I said awhile ago," he said very seriously.
"I should think you would," she responded, utterly misinterpreting his
intent.
"You asked me to tell you what my message to Ravone contained and I
refused. Subsequently the extent of his message to me led us into a most
thorough understanding. It is only just and right that you should know
what I said to him."
"I trust you, Baldos," she protested simply.
"That is why I tell this to you. Yesterday, your highness, the castle
guard received their month's pay. You may not know how well we are paid,
so I will say that it is ten gavvos to each. The envelope which I gave
to Ravone contained my wages for the past six weeks. They need it far
more than I do. There was also a short note of good cheer to those poor
comrades of mine, and the assurance that one day our luck may change and
starvation be succeeded by plenty. And, still more, I told him that I
knew you to be Miss Calhoun and that you were my angel of
inspiration. That was all, your highness."
"Thank you, Baldos, for telling me," she said softly. "You have made me
ashamed of myself."
"On the contrary, I fear that I have been indulging in mock
heroics. Truth and egotism--like a salad--require a certain amount of
dressing."