n of hauteur, softened by a gesture of timidity and doubt;
listen to her voice, low-toned and infinitely calm yet vibrating in a
minor chord of uncertainty and dread; feel the clasp of her hand, cold
when it touches yours, yet instantly thrilling you with a glow induced
by the contact, and--remain thoroughly master of yourself if you can.
Retain, if you have the strength to do so, the opinions you had formed,
the judgments you have passed. If you succeed, you are a giant; if you
fail, you are just what I was--a man, and human.

"You are punctual, and I am grateful," she murmured. "If you had been
late----"

All the hardness I had felt before returned to me then.

"If I had been late you would have known the reason, princess," I said.

"No; but I should have feared it."

"I would have been dead."

"Dead!"

"Yes; but, unfortunately, the attempt upon my life did not succeed,
thanks to Fate and poor marksmanship."

"The attempt on your life! I do not understand."

I turned my head so that she could see where the plaster hid the wound
made by the bullet of the would-be assassin.

"A better marksman would have compelled me to break my engagement,
princess," I said.

She extended one hand and rested a finger lightly upon the wound, as
though she intended the mere touch to heal it. With the other hand she
gently turned my face towards hers; yet she did it in a way that was
devoid of intimacy. Somehow she changed what might have been suggestive
of familiarity, into a gesture of womanly tenderness; and there was
undoubtedly horror in her eyes, and a flash of angry resentment, too.

"You think that I am responsible for this?" she asked, releasing me and
stepping backward.

I bowed, but made no reply.

Impulsively, she crossed the room, and from the floor, where she had
doubtless thrown it after reading, secured a crumpled wad of paper, and
after straightening and smoothing it, gave it into my hand.

"Read," she said.

"'Our interview in the garden was overheard by two persons beside
ourselves,'" I read, aloud. "'One of them, fortunately, was a friend;
the other may not keep the engagement made with you.'"

"It is from Ivan," she said. "It is because I received that note that I
would have been anxious if you had been detained. It did not occur to
me to doubt that you would be prompt until I read that. I did not doubt
you, Mr. Dubravnik. I might have killed myself, but I would not
have--ah! To think that you co