It came at last. A flash of light winked above the edge of my bandage, and close upon it broke the roar and rattle of the volley . . . Death? I put out my hands and groped for it. Where was Death? Nay, perhaps this _was_ Death? If so, what fools were men to fear it! The hum of the insects had given place to silence--absolute silence. If bullet had touched me, I had felt no pang at all. I was standing, yes, surely I was standing . . . Slowly it broke on me that I was unhurt, that they had fired wide, prolonging their sport with me; and I tore away the bandage, crying out upon them to finish their cruelty. At a little distance sat the Princess watching me, her gun across her knees. Beyond her and beyond the cottage, by the edge of the wood the firing-party had fallen into rank and were marching off among the pine-stems, the Prince and Father Domenico with them. I stared stupidly after the disappearing uniforms, and put out a hand as if to brush away the smoke which yet floated across the clearing. The Commandant, turning to follow his men, at the same moment lifted his hand in salute. So he, too, passed out of sight. I turned to the Princess. She arose slowly and came to me. CHAPTER XXIV. THE WOOING OF PRINCESS CAMILLA. "Take heed of loving me, At least remember I forbade it thee; . . . If thou love me, take heed of loving me." DONNE, _The Prohibition_. "You have conquered." She had halted, a pace or two from me, with downcast eyes. She said it very slowly, and I stared at her and answered with an unmeaning laugh. "Forgive me, Princess. I--I fancy my poor wits have been shaken and need a little time to recover. At any rate, I do not understand you." "You have conquered," she repeated in a low voice that dragged upon the words. Then, after a pause,--"You remember, once, promising me that at the last I should come and place my neck under your foot . . ." She glanced up at me and dropped her eyes again. "Yes, I see that you remember. _Eccu_--I am here." "I remember, Princess: but even yet I do not understand. Why, and for what, should you beseech me?" "In the first place for death. I am your wife . . ." She broke off with a shiver. "There is something in the name, _messere_--is there not?--that should move you to kindness, as a sportsman takes his game not unkindly to break its neck. That is all I ask of you--" "Princess!" She lifted a hand. "--except that you will let me say what I have to say. You shall think hard thoughts of me, and I am going to make them harder; but for your own sake you shall put away vile ones-if you can." I stared at her stupidly dizzied a little with the words _I am your wife_, humming in my brain. Or say that I am naturally not quick-witted, and I will plead that for once my dullness did me no discredit.