And Ilse Dumont, standing there in the rags of her frail gown,
cuddling to her breast the purring cat, looked up to meet her doom in
the steady gaze of the Princess Naïa Mistchenka.
Every atom of colour left her face, and her ashy lips parted.
Otherwise, she made no sign of fear, no movement.
There was a second's absolute silence; then the dark eyes of the
Princess turned on Neeland.
"Good heavens, James!" she said. "What has happened to you?"
"Nothing," he said gaily, "thanks to Miss Dumont----"
"To whom?" interrupted the Princess sharply.
"To Miss Dumont. We got into a silly place where it began to look as
though we'd get our heads knocked off, Sengoun and I. I'm really quite
serious, Princess. If it hadn't been for Miss Dumont--" he shrugged;
"--and that is twice she has saved my idiotic head for me," he added
cheerfully.
The Princess Naïa's dark eyes reverted to Ilse Dumont, and the pallid
girl met them steadily enough. There was no supplication in her own
eyes, no shrinking, only the hopeless tranquillity that looks Destiny
in the face--the gaze riveted unflinchingly upon the descending blow.
"What are you doing in Paris at such a time as this?" said the
Princess.
The girl's white lips parted stiffly: "Do you need to ask?"
For a full minute the Princess bent a menacing gaze on her in silence;
then: "What do you expect from me?" she demanded in a low voice. And,
stepping nearer: "What have you to expect from anyone in France on
such a day as this?"
Ilse Dumont did not answer. After a moment she dropped her head and
fumbled with the rags of her bodice, as though trying to cover the
delicately rounded shoulders. A shaft of sunlight, reflected from the
obelisk to the fountain, played in golden ripples across her hair.
Neeland looked at the Princess Naïa: "What you do is none of my business," he said pleasantly, "but--" he
smiled at her and stepped back beside Ilse Dumont, and passed his arm
through hers: "I'm a grateful beast," he added lightly, "and if I've
nine lives to lose, perhaps Miss Dumont will save seven more of them
before I'm entirely done for."
The girl gently disengaged his arm.
"You'll only get yourself into serious trouble," she murmured, "and
you can't help me, dear Neeland."
The Princess Naïa, flushed and exasperated, bit her lip.