She afterwards
recalled the guilty impulse which forced her to sit on the tell-tale
note while the men were carrying her along in the driveway. When it was
quite safe she slyly opened the missive. His hand closed over hers, and
the note, and he bent close once more.
"My only fear is that the test will make it impossible for me to kiss
your hand again," said he in a strained voice. She looked up in
surprise.
"Then it is really something disloyal?"
"I have called it a test, your highness," he responded enigmatically.
"Well, we'll see," she said, and forthwith turned her eyes to the
all-important paper. A quick flush crossed her brow; her eyes blinked
hopelessly. The note was written in the Graustark language!
"I'll read it later, Baldos. This is no place for me to be reading
notes, don't you know? Really, it isn't. I'll give it back to you
to-morrow," she was in haste to say.
An inscrutable smile came over his face.
"Ravone's information is correct, I am now convinced," he said
slowly. "Pray, your highness, glance over it now, that I may destroy it
at once," he persisted.
"The light isn't good."
"It seems excellent."
"And I never saw such a miserable scrawl as this. He must have written
it on horseback and at full gallop,"
"It is quite legible, your highness."
"I really cannot read the stuff. You know his handwriting.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206