"I forget that I am a slave, your highness," he said at last, and his
voice thrilled her through and through. She turned quickly and to her
utter dismay found his face and eyes still close to hers, glowing in the
darkness.
"Those men--over there," she whispered helplessly. "They are looking at
you!"
"Now, I thank God eternally," he cried softly, "You do not punish me,
you do not rebuke me. God, there is no night!"
"You--you must not talk like that," she cried, pulling herself together
suddenly. "I cannot permit it, Baldos. You forget who you are, sir," "Ah, yes, your highness," he said, before he stood erect. "I forget that
I was a suspected traitor. Now I am guilty of lese majeste."
Beverly felt herself grow hot with confusion.
"What am I to do with you?" she cried in perplexity, her heart beating
shamefully. "You swear you are honest, and yet you won't tell me the
truth. Now, don't stand like that! You are as straight as a ramrod, and
I know your dignity is terribly offended. I may be foolish, but I
do believe you intend no harm to Graustark. You cannot be
a traitor."
"I will some day give my life to repay you for those words, your
highness," he said. Her hand was resting on the side of the
chair. Something warm touched it, and then it was lifted
resistlessly. Hot, passionate lips burned themselves into the white
fingers, and a glow went into every fiber of her body.
"Oh!" was all she could say. He gently released the hand and threw up
his chin resolutely.
"I am almost ready to die," he said. She laughed for the first
time since they entered the park.
"I don't know how to treat you," she said in a helpless flutter." You
know a princess has many trials in life."
"Not the least of which is womanhood."
"Baldos," she said after a long pause. Something very disagreeable had
just rushed into her brain. "Have you been forgetting all this time that
the Princess Yetive is the wife of Grenfall Lorry?"
"It has never left my mind for an instant. From the bottom of my heart I
congratulate him. His wife is an angel as well as a princess."
"Well, in the code of morals, is it quite proper to be so loyal
to another man's wife?" she asked, and then she trembled. He was
supposed to know her as the wife of Grenfall Lorry, and yet he had
boldly shown his love for her.