And Wogan understood that the real trouble with her at this moment was

not so much the King's delay in Spain as a doubt whether he himself had

played with her and spoken her false. For if he was proved untrue here,

why, he might have been untrue throughout, on the stairway at Innspruck,

on the road to Ala, in the hut on the bluff of the hills. He could see

how harshly the doubt would buffet her pride, how it would wound her to

the soul.

"It is the truth," he answered; "you will believe it. I pledge my soul

upon it. Lay your hand in mine. I will repeat it standing so. Could I

speak false with your hand close in mine?"

He held out his hand; she did not move, nor did her attitude of distrust

relent.

"Could you not?" she asked icily.

Wogan was baffled; he was angered. "Have I ever told you lies?" he asked

passionately, and she answered, "Yes," and steadily looked him in the

face.

The monosyllable quenched him like a pail of cold water. He stood

silent, perplexed, trying to remember.

"When?" he asked.

"In the berlin between Brixen and Wellishmile."

Wogan remembered that he had told her of his city of dreams. But it was

plainly not to that that she referred. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I cannot remember."

"You told me of an attack made upon a Scottish town, what time the King

was there in the year '15. He forced a passage through nine grenadiers

with loaded muskets and escaped over the roof-tops, where he played a

game of hide-and-seek among the chimneys. Ah, you remember the story

now. There was a chain, I remember, which even then as you told of it

puzzled me. He threw the chain over the head of one of those nine

grenadiers, and crossing his arms jerked it tight about the man's neck,

stifling his cry of warning. 'What chain?' I asked, and you

answered,--oh, sir, with a practised readiness,--'The chain he wore

about his neck.' Do you remember that? The chain linked your hand-locks,

Mr. Wogan. It was your own escape of which you told me. Why did you

ascribe your exploits to your King?"

"Your Highness," he said, "we know the King, we who have served him day

in and day out for years. We can say freely to each other, 'The King's

achievements, they are to come.' We were in Scotland with him, and we

know they will not fail to come. But with you it's different. You did

not know him. You asked what he had done, and I told you. You asked for

more. You said, 'Amongst his throng of adventurers, each of whom has

something to his credit, what has he, the chief adventurer?'"




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