"To die is easy, your highness. You have but to ask it of me," said

Baldos, whose face was white and drawn.

"She has no intention of demanding such a pleasant sacrifice" observed

Count Marlanx, covering his failure skilfully. "Later on, perhaps, she

may sign your death warrant. I am proud to hear, sir, that a member of

my corps has the courage to face the inevitable, even though he be an

alien and unwilling to die on the field of battle. You have my

compliments, sir. You have been on irksome duty for several hours and

must be fatigued as well as hungry. A soldier suffers many deprivations,

not the least of which is starvation in pursuit of his calling. Mess is

not an unwelcome relief to you after all these arduous hours. You may

return to the barracks at once. The princess is under my care for the

remainder of the campaign."

Baldos looked first at her and then at the sarcastic old general. Yetive

and her companions were waiting for them at the fountain, a hundred

yards ahead.

"You may go, Baldos," said Beverly in low tones.

"I am not fatigued nor--" he began eagerly.

"Go!" snarled Marlanx. "Am I to repeat a command to you? Do you ignore

the word of your mistress?" There was a significant sneer in the way he

said it.

"Mistress?" gasped Baldos, his eye blazing, his arm half raised.

"Count Marlanx!" implored Beverly, drawing herself to her full height

and staring at him like a wounded thing.

"I humbly implore you not to misconstrue the meaning of the term, your

highness," said the Count affably, "Ah, you have dropped

something. Permit me. It is a note of some description, I think."

He stooped quickly--too quickly--and recovered from the ground at her

feet the bit of paper which had fallen from her hand. It was the note

from Ravone to Baldos which Beverly had forgotten in the excitement of

the encounter.

"Count Marlanx, give me that paper!" demanded Beverly breathlessly.

"Is it a love-letter? Perhaps it is intended for me. At any rate, your

highness, it is safe against my heart for the time being. When we reach

the castle I shall be happy to restore it. It is safer with me. Come, we

go one way and--have you not gone, sir?" in his most sarcastic tone to

the guard. Beverly was trembling.

"No, I have not; and I shall not go until I see you obey the command of

her highness. She has asked you for that piece of paper," said Baldos,

standing squarely in front of Marlanx.

"Insolent dog! Do you mean to question my--"

"Give over that paper!"

"If you strike me, fellow, it will be--"

"If I strike you it will be to kill, Count Marlanx. The paper, sir."

Baldos towered over the Iron Count and there was danger in his

dare-devil voice. "Surely, sir, I am but obeying your own

instructions. 'Protect the princess and all that is hers, with your

life,' you have said to me."




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024