rain that it would be a good thing to
deceive me?"

Her scarlet lips opened and closed again.

"How have I deceived?" she faltered. "I gave the keys to the woman with
the blue eyes, and I sent her to my lord. It was a hard thing to do
that, but I did it. Was there any risk of evil? My lord was here to deal
with her."

"Why did you do this thing, Nita?" he asked.

"My lord knows," she answered simply. "I did it to bring evil upon this
English woman whom he has preferred. I did it that he might understand.
It was my lord himself who told me that she was a spy. Now it is
proved."

Prince Shan's fingers stole into the pocket of his coat. He held out a
crumpled sheet of paper, on which was written a single sentence. The
girl began to shiver.

"You have been very anxious indeed, Nita," he said, "to bring evil upon
this woman. This is the message you sent to Immelan. Do you recognise
your words? Listen, these are your words:

"'The greatest of all will desert you, if the Englishwoman whom he loves
is not speedily removed. Even to-night he may give papers into her hand,
and your secret will be known.'"

The girl sat transfixed. She seemed to have lost all power of speech.

"That is a copy of the message which you sent to Immelan," he told her
sternly.

"It is the terrible Li Wen," she faltered. "He has the second sight. The
devil walks with him."

"The devil is sometimes a useful confederate," her companion continued
equably. "You warned Immelan that it was in my mind to refuse his terms
and to open my heart to the Englishwoman, and you seduced Sen Lu to
carry your message. Yet your judgment was at fault. The hand of Immelan
was stretched out against me, and me alone. But for my knowledge of
these things, I might have sat in the place of Sen Lu, who rightly died
in my stead. What have you to say?"

She rose to her feet. He made no movement, but his eyes watched her, and
the muscles of his body stiffened. He watched the white hand which stole
irresolutely towards the loose folds of her coat.

"You ask me why I have done this," she cried, "but you already know. It
is because you have taken this woman with the blue eyes into your
heart."

"If that were true," he answered, "of what concern is it to others? I am
Prince Shan."

"You sent me here to breathe this cursed western atmosphere," she
moaned, "to drink in their thoughts and see with their eyes. I see and
know the folly of it all, but who can escape? Jealo