O'Moy became scared.

"You don't imagine--"

Sylvia spoke quickly: "I am certain that unless you take Captain
Tremayne away, and at once, there will! be serious trouble."

And now behold Lady O'Moy thrown into a state of alarm that bordered
upon terror. She had more reason than Sylvia could dream, more reason
she conceived than Sylvia herself, to wish to keep Captain Tremayne out
of trouble just at present. Instantly, agitatedly, she turned and called
to him.

"Ned!" floated her silvery voice across the enclosed garden. And again:
"Ned! I want you at once, please."

Captain Tremayne rose. Grant was talking briskly at the time, his
intention being to cover Tremayne's retreat, which he himself desired.
Count Samoval's smouldering eyes were upon the captain, and full of
menace. But he could not be guilty of the rudeness of interrupting Grant
or of detaining Captain Tremayne when a lady called him.

CHAPTER XI. THE CHALLENGE

Rebuke awaited Captain Tremayne at the hands of Lady O'Moy, and it came
as soon as they were alone together sauntering in the thicket of pine
and cork-oak on the slope of the hill below the terrace.

"How thoughtless of you, Ned, to provoke Count Samoval at such a time as
this!"

"Did I provoke him? I thought it was the Count himself who was
provoking." Tremayne spoke lightly.

"But suppose anything were to happen to you? You know the man's dreadful
reputation."

Tremayne looked at her kindly. This apparent concern for himself touched
him. "My dear Una, I hope I can take care of myself, even against so
formidable a fellow; and after all a man must take his chances a soldier
especially."

"But what of Dick?" she cried. "Do you forget that he is depending
entirely upon you--that if you should fail him he will be lost?" And
there was something akin to indignation in the protesting eyes she
turned upon him.

For a moment Tremayne was so amazed that he was at a loss for an answer.
Then he smiled. Indeed his inclination was to laugh outright. The
frank admission that her concern which he had fondly imagined to be
for himself was all for Dick betrayed a state of mind that was entirely
typical of Una. Never had she been able to command more than one point
of view of any question, and that point of view invariably of her own
interest. All her life she had been accustomed to sacrifices great and
small made by others on heir own behalf, until she had come to look upon
such sacrifices he