all!
Well, she thought, with malicious amusement, if he chose to take the
trouble of climbing a tree to watch her, she would keep him employed up
there as long as possible and see which would tire first. He was
evidently getting cramped already, for the branches were cracking quite
loudly, but she would not look up or show that she was in the least
aware of him. And then suddenly a heavy body fell with a flop on the
open book in her lap--and she realised with terror that it was no spy
she had to deal with, but an infinitely more formidable enemy. It was a
huge serpent that had coiled itself swiftly on her knees, which quivered
under the intolerable weight, while its tail twisted round her ankles,
binding them fast, and it reared its evil flat head, crested like a
peacock's, to a level with her chin. Its markings, in alternate rings of
cream, vermilion, black and orange, were strangely beautiful, but she
was in no mood to admire them as she sat there--spell-bound under its
cold tawny eyes.

Presently it spoke words which made her wish that its speech had been
unintelligible. "Yes," it said, "you are quite right to be afraid of me.
I am here to kill you."

"Then don't talk about it!" said Daphne, her throat so parched that she
could scarcely speak; "if you must kill me, do it at once and get it
over."

"Not yet," it said malignantly. "You have an agony of terror to go
through before that. When I see your eyes close I shall know that the
time has come, and I shall strike my fangs into that white throat of
yours, and you will recover just sense enough to feel what pain it is to
die!" Daphne would very possibly have closed her eyes at once and
received the death stroke rather than listen any longer to the
creature's threats, but she had just become aware that help was at hand.
The person she believed to be a spy was stealing up, treading
noiselessly over the velvet turf, his hands already outstretched with
the evident purpose of seizing the reptile from behind. If she could
only engage it in conversation for a minute or two, there was still a
chance for her.

"I have done you no harm," she said, after moistening her dry lips. "Why
should you hate me like this?"

"Ask Xuriel, my master," replied the serpent, "who called me into being
for no other purpose than to put you to death."

"But I have done Xuriel no injury."

"Then it may be you are an enemy of the Count, whose servant he is. I
know not--nor is it any matte