She sat bolt upright and stared at me, every muscle and nerve strained and set, her face as white as her lace and the pupils of her weird eyes dilated with sudden fear and wonder. For several seconds she was unable to utter a word, as she realized all that must lie behind my words. “You will now, perhaps, deem it prudent not to refuse any longer to bring Mademoiselle Dominguez here to me,” I said very meaningly. She lowered her head with a deep sigh and sat thinking, then rose with a little shiver of fear. “I will fetch her,” she murmured and went out of the room. I breathed a sigh of satisfaction at my victory. It was a telling proof of the strength of my hold over her and all who were leagued with her in this persecution of Miralda. I had to wait about a quarter of an hour before she returned, bringing Miralda, who was pale and worn and nervous. Inez did not enter the room, but closed the door, leaving us alone, as I took Miralda’s hand. “Oh, why have you come here, Mr. Donnington?” “To take you away. I have come straight here from your mother and am going to take you back to her.” “I--I cannot go,” she replied, shaking her head. “Why not?” “If I attempt to leave here, I shall be arrested.” “Is that the tale they have told you to keep you here?” “It is true. Do you know what happened last night?” “Yes, indeed; a great deal better than you or any one else in this house. I urge you to come away at once with me; and I will tell you everything that occurred.” “I--I dare not,” she said, shrinking away from me. “But I tell you that you have absolutely nothing to fear. You can trust me?” “Oh yes, yes. You know that; but I--dare not go.” It was evident that by some means they had succeeded in breaking down her nerve. “Let me urge you to come at once--just as you are.” “Do you know that a mad attempt was made to make the king a prisoner; that it failed and has been discovered; and that all concerned in it are now in danger of their lives? I had no idea of such a shameful plot, or I would never have done what I have. There is no hope for any of us but flight; and Dr. Barosa is arranging for us to fly secretly this afternoon.” “I know much more than that. I know why it failed. I have every reason to know, because I myself prevented the attempt.” “You?” she cried in amazement. “Yes, I. No one else.” “And you knew this terrible thing and did not warn me? And yet you knew I was implicated! Oh, how could you?” This was a point of view which had not occurred to me. She had good reason to blame me; and for the moment I was silent. “You have no answer? If you had told me, do you think I would not have given a warning of it even at the risk of my life?” and with a despondent sigh she dropped into a chair and sat staring helplessly at the floor. “You are forgetting that I myself prevented it.”