I was caught
or why your officer brought me to you?"

"You were ordered from my house once today, yet you come again like a
conqueror. I should not spare you. You deserve to lose your life for the
actions of tonight. Captain Quinnox, will you kill him if I ask you to
end his wretched life?" Yetive's eyes were blazing with wrath, beneath
which gleamed a hope that he could be frightened into silence.

"Willingly--willingly!" cried Quinnox. "Now, your Highness? 'Twere
better in the hall!"

"For God's sake, do not murder me! Let me go!" cringed the Prince.

"I do not mean that you should kill him now, Quinnox, but I instruct you
to do so if he puts foot inside these walls again. Do you understand?"

"Yes, your Highness."

"Then you will place this prisoner in the castle dungeon until to-morrow
morning, when he is to be taken to the Tower. Prince Gabriel may
accompany you to the dungeon cell, if he likes, after which you will
escort him to the gates. If he enters them again you are to kill him.
Take them both away!"

"Your Highness, I must ask you to write a pardon for the good people in
whose house the prisoner was found," suggested Quinnox, shrewdly seeing
a chance for communication unsuspected by the Prince.

"A moment, your Highness," said the Prince, who had recovered himself
cleverly. "I appreciate your position. I have made a serious charge,
and I now have a fair proposition to suggest to you. If this man is not
produced to-morrow morning I take it for granted that I am at liberty to
tell all that has happened in this room to-night. If he is produced, I
shall kneel and beg your pardon."

The Princess turned paler than ever and knew not how she kept from
falling to the floor. There was a long silence following Gabriel's
unexpected but fair suggestion.

"That is very fair, your Highness," said Lorry. "There is no reason
why I should not be a prisoner to-morrow. I don't see how I can hope to
escape the inevitable. Your dungeon is strong and I have given my word
of honor to the captain that I shall make no further effort to evade the
law."

"I agree," murmured the Princess, ready to faint under the strain.

"I must see him delivered to Prince Bolaroz," added Gabriel mercilessly.

"To Bolaroz," she repeated.

"Your Highness, the pardon for the poor old people," reminded Quinnox.
She glided to the desk, stunned, bewildered. It seemed as though death
were upon her. Quinnox followed and bent near her ear. "Do