"Have a care, girl!" he snarled. "I have it in my power to crush you."
"Pooh!" came scornfully from her lips. "If you molest me further I shall
call Mr. Lorry. Let me pass!"
"Just glance at this paper, my beauty. I fancy you'll change your
tune. It goes before the eyes of the council, unless you--" he paused
significantly.
Beverly took the document and with dilated eyes read the revolting
charges against her honor. Her cheeks grew white with anger, then
flushed a deep crimson.
"You fiend!" she cried, glaring at him so fiercely that he instinctively
shrank back, the vicious grin dying in his face. "I'll show you how much
I fear you. I shall give this revolting thing to the princess. She may
read it to the cabinet, for all I care. No one will believe you. They'll
kill you for this!"
She turned and flew into the presence of the princess and her
ministers. Speeding to the side of Yetive, she thrust the paper into her
hands. Surprise and expectancy filled the eyes of all assembled.
"Count Marlanx officially charges me with--with--Read it, your
highness," she cried distractedly.
Yetive read it, pale-faced and cold. A determined gleam appeared in her
eyes as she passed the document to her husband.
"Allode," Lorry said to an attendant, after a brief glance at its
revolting contents, "ask Count Marlanx to appear here instantly. He is
outside the door."
Lorry's anger was hard to control. He clenched his hands and there was a
fine suggestion of throttling in the way he did it. Marlanx, entering
the room, saw that he was doomed. He had not expected Beverly to take
this appalling step. The girl, tears in her eyes, rushed to a window,
hiding her face from the wondering ministers. Her courage suddenly
failed her. If the charges were read aloud before these men it seemed to
her that she never could lift her eyes again. A mighty longing for
Washington, her father and the big Calhoun boys, rushed to her heart as
she stood there and awaited the crash. But Lorry was a true nobleman.
"Gentlemen," he said quietly," Count Marlanx has seen fit to charge Miss
Calhoun with complicity in the flight of Baldos. I will not read the
charges to you. They are unworthy of one who has held the highest
position in the army of Graustark. He has--"
"Read this, my husband, before you proceed further," said Yetive,
thrusting into his hand a line she had written with feverish
haste. Lorry smiled gravely before he read aloud the brief edict which
removed General Marlanx from the command of the army of Graustark.
"Is this justice?" protested Marlanx angrily. "Will you not give me a
hearing? I beseech--"
"Silence!" commanded the princess. "What manner of hearing did you
expect to give Miss Calhoun? It is enough, sir. There shall be no
cowards in my army."