In his imagination he could picture her as she probably had been during his absence, when, somehow or other, she must have discovered his identity. Aghast--nay, possibly hypnotized by his personality and satanical appearance--she had passed her knowledge on to the Communists, probably shocked that such a man as he could live and not be struck down by the wrath of God! Then almost at once his thoughts changed and he saw it in a different light. He asked himself by what right Elizabeth had passed judgment upon him. If she possessed nothing other than a sense of gratitude toward him for having saved her father from death, surely this should have been sufficiently strong to have dissuaded her from the step she had taken. Yet among all the different aspects of her act which passed through his mind there was just one which never occurred to him--the true one. That she had betrayed him as the White Knight all unknowing that he was indeed the White Knight in very truth, and, still further, that Elizabeth had done this that sha might be of service to him, was never farther from his thoughts than during the time he gloomed in a Parliament House cell, waiting for the moment when he would be haled before Korvin-Klein. In the meantime the Supreme Soviet Council, in session at the Hapsburg Palace, was in high spirits. The White Knight captured at last! It was almost too good to be true! There they sat, the rulers of the ruined nation, discussing what would be the finest form of death to mete out--and by the finest they meant one which would give the hated Enemy of the Commune the most exquisite torture, and themselves the greatest degree of pleasurable gratification. On one point they were all agreed. Where or how he should die did not matter so very much, but when--it could not be too soon. "Come, comrades," pleaded Korvin-Klein, "why not hand him over to me? I can assure you he will not escape, and I shall see to it that his death is all that could be desired." Pogany grunted: "What about Apor? Did your men keep him safe and sound?" Klein flushed. "You cannot blame that on me. Who sent me orders by telephone?--it was lucky I happened to be there----" "Unlucky, I think," interrupted Kunfi. The hunchback shrugged his shoulders. "Look at it which way you like. As I was saying, who gave me orders last thing at night to drop him in the Danube without a moment's delay? Bela Kun! If Comrade Bela Kun had not 'phoned me he would still have been safe and sound in the morning." "Nothing of the sort, Korvin!" said Bela Kun bluntly. "From the information I received, the White Knight was coming to you with a forged order for Apor's release. It must have been just luck that they were in Parliament Square at the very time your men were taking him to his death." "Do you really believe that, my friend?" asked Klein softly. "Of course I do!" said Bela Kun truculently.