"You practically confess that you did it," went on Udo magnificently. "Did what?" "Turned me into a--a----" "A rabbit?" said Belvane innocently. A foolish observation like this always pained Udo. "What makes you think I'm a rabbit?" he asked. "I don't mind what you are, but you'll never dare show yourself in the country like this." "Be careful, woman; don't drive me too far. Beware lest you rouse the lion in me." "Where?" asked Belvane, with a child-like air. With a gesture full of dignity and good breeding Udo called attention to his tail. "That," said the Countess, "is not the part of the lion that I'm afraid of." For the moment Udo was nonplussed, but he soon recovered himself. "Even supposing--just for the sake of argument--that I am a rabbit, I still have something up my sleeve; I'll come and eat your young carnations." Belvane adored her garden, but she was sustained by the thought that it was only July just now. She pointed this out to him. "It needn't necessarily be carnations," he warned her. "I don't want to put my opinion against one who has (forgive me) inside knowledge on the subject, but I think I have nothing in my garden at this moment that would agree with a rabbit." "I don't mind if it _doesn't_ agree with me," said Udo heroically. This was more serious. Her dear garden in which she composed, ruined by the mastications--machinations--what was the word?--of an enemy! The thought was unbearable. "You aren't a rabbit," she said hastily; "you aren't really a rabbit. Because--because you don't _woffle_ your nose properly." "I could," said Udo simply. "I'm just keeping it back, that's all." "Show me how," cried Belvane, clasping her hands eagerly together. It was not what he had come into the garden for, and it accorded ill with the dignity of the Royal House of Araby, but somehow one got led on by this wicked woman. "Like this," said Udo. The Countess looked at him critically with her head on one side. "No," she said, "that's quite wrong." "Naturally I'm a little out of practice." "I'm sorry," said Belvane. "I'm afraid I can't pass you." Udo couldn't think what had happened to the conversation. With a great effort he extracted himself from it. "Enough of this, Countess," he said sternly. "I have your admission that it was you who put this enchantment on me." "It was I. I wasn't going to have you here interfering with my plans." "Your plans to rob the Princess." Belvane felt that it was useless to explain the principles of largesse-throwing to Udo. There will always be men like Udo and Roger Scurvilegs who take these narrow matter-of-fact views. One merely wastes time in arguing with them. "My plans," she repeated. "Very well. I shall go straight to the Princess, and she will unmask you before the people." Belvane smiled happily. One does not often get such a chance.