lentine
Osorio entered, as a queen comes into a throne room.

At sight of her the envoy stayed his speech to make the presentation in
form. Guise instantly dropped all interest in the goodwill of King
Philip and his views upon state policy. He crossed over to the
window-seat, where Valentine had seated herself.

Mariana had followed, and the next moment the Marquis resumed his
interrupted speech, addressing himself to the Jesuit and De Bar, whose
ears were rigid with listening to what was going on in the window, but
who feared his brother so much that he dared not follow his movements
with a single lift of his eyelids.

"My lady," said Guise, as he stood before Valentine, "I judge that I
have the privilege of restoring to you a kerchief which you dropped by
accident last night into my garden--we are neighbours, you know."

Valentine la Nina did not flush in the least. She said only, "It is none
of mine. If you will throw it behind the curtain there, my maid Salome
will see that it goes to the wash."

Guise stood staring at her, internally fuming at his own stupidity in
thus attempting to force the situation.

Valentine la Nina was dressed in a vaporous greenish lawn, which added
value to the clearness of her skin, the coiled wealth of her fair hair,
and the honey-coloured eyes which looked past the great Duke as if he
were no more than a pillar between her and the landscape.

Manifestly Guise was piqued. He was a man of good fortunes, and of late
the Parisians had spoiled him. He was quite unaccustomed to be treated
in this fashion.

"Countess," he said at last, after long searching for a topic, "I am
from the north and you from the south. Yet to look at us, it is I who am
the Spaniard and you the Frank!"

"My father was a Flamand!" said Valentine la Nina calmly.

"And, may I ask, of what degree?"

"Of a degree higher than your own!" said Valentine, turning her great
eyes indolently upon him.

Guise looked staggered. He had not supposed that the world held any
such.

"Then he must have been a reigning prince!" he stammered.

"Well?" said Valentine, looking at him with direct inquiry.

"I had not understood that even so ancient a house as the Osorios----"

"I never said that my father was an Osorio!"

"Ah!" said the Duke, "then I ask your pardon. I was indeed ignorant."

He scented mystery, and being a plain, hard-hearted, cruel man of the
time, thrust into a commanding position by circumstances, he