"Wait outside the door, sirs," he commanded. When they had obeyed he looked again towards Brilliana, and there was a smile on his tired face, a smile partly whimsical, partly pitying, as if encouraging to an adventure yet doubtful of the result. Then he gave her a gracious salutation, and, without further notice of Evander Cloud, passed into the adjoining room and left the lovers alone. XXVIII LOVER AND LOVER Evander turned to Brilliana with question in his eyes; Brilliana advanced towards Evander with question on her lips. "Are you very sure you love me?" she queried. Evander made to take her in his arms, but she stayed him with a lifted hand of warning. "Sure," he answered, fervently, and surety shone in his eyes. Brilliana leaned against the table at which the King had sat and faced him gravely. "More than life, more than all things in the wide world?" Evander's answer came as flash to flint. "More than life; more than all things in this wide world--" there was a momentary fall in his voice; then he added, "save honor." A little sudden fear pricked at Brilliana's heart, but she tried to deny it with a little, teasing laugh. "Oh, that wonderful word 'honor,'" she mocked. "I thought we should pull that out of the sack sooner or later." Evander watched her with surprise. "What is coming next?" he wondered. He began to fear as he answered, simply: "You would not have me neglect honor?" Brilliana's face was set steadfastly towards him; Brilliana's eyes were very bright; Brilliana's cheeks were as red as the late October roses. "Here is what I would have you do," she said, breathlessly, and then paused--paused so long that Evander, watching and waiting, prompted her with a questioning "Well?" Brilliana still seemed to hesitate. That word "honor" had frightened her for Evander, had frightened her for herself. She now groped uncertain, who thought to tread so surely. "Will you do as I wish if I tell you?" she asked, trying to mask anxiety with a jesting manner. And when Evander responded gravely, "If I can," she pressed him impetuously again. "Nay, now, make me a square promise." She looked very fair as she pleaded. "All that a doomed man can do--" Evander replied, smiling somewhat wistfully. Brilliana shook her head vehemently and her Royalist curls danced round her bright cheeks. "You are no doomed man unless you choose," she asserted, hotly. Evander moved a step nearer to her. "What do you mean?" he asked. Brilliana was panting now. He knew she had somewhat to say, and newly found it hard in the saying. She spoke. "His Majesty the King will grant you your life." Her words and looks told him temptingly that "your life" meant also "my life" to her. "On what condition?" He knew there must be a condition, knew that the condition troubled Brilliana. She answered him swiftly. "Oh, no condition at all." There came a catch in her voice and then she ran on: