rom
the King's cup."

"Countess!"

She turned quickly round. Brand had come silently into the room.

CHAPTER XXIV

"You!"

Her surprised interjection recalled to him for the first time the hour
and the strangeness of his visit. Yet he attempted little in the way
of excuse.

"I may stay five minutes," he begged. "You are alone?"

"It is very late," she murmured.

He pointed out of the great window at the far end of the room.

"Your brother is attending the King. If he should return--well, mine
is no idle errand. I can justify my coming, even at this hour."

Then she noticed that he was not dressed for the evening, that he was
pale, and that there was trouble in his eyes. She led him into a
smaller room, pushed open a window, and beckoned him to follow her
down the worn grey steps into the gardens.

"This is my favourite corner," she said. "Beyond are the flower
gardens, and the air here at night is always sweet. You shall sit with
me, my friend, and you shall tell me what it is that brings you with
this look of trouble in your face."

His eyes remained fixed upon her with a sudden passionate wistfulness.
She was very sweet and gracious, and her slow speech seemed to him
more musical than ever. So he sat by her side, and a little sea of
white satin and lace and soft draperies covered up all the space
between them, for it had been a State dinner at the palace, and he
found speech very difficult.

"Now this is restful and very pleasant," she said, after a long pause.
"But you must tell me why you have come. It was not by chance--to see
me? But no? You spoke also of my brother."

Her eyes sought his--a spice of coquetry in their questioning gleam.
But the cloud lingered upon his face.

"I would not have dared to come at such an hour," he said, "if my
visit were an ordinary one."

"How very unenterprising," she murmured. "I am sure that this is much
the pleasantest time of the day."

"Countess," he said, slowly, "is Baron Domiloff a friend of yours?"

"Of mine? But no. Why do you ask such a question?"

"He has been banished from Theos. Did you know that he was hiding
still in the city?"

She shook her head slowly.

"I know nothing," she answered. "How strange that you should ask me."

"Is it not true, then," he continued, "that you and he and your
brother are plotting against the King?"

She regarded him with uplifted eyebrows. Then she patted him gently on
the arm with her fan.

"It