I was disgusted at his savagery, but I said coolly:
‘And the Lady?’
‘The Lady believes what she is told, and will do as her cousin bids her. Is she not his affianced wife?’
‘The deuce she is!’ I cried in amazement, fixing a keen scrutiny on Vlacho’s face. The face told me nothing.
‘Certainly,’ he said gently. ‘And they will rule the island together.’
‘Will they, though?’ said I. I was becoming rather annoyed. ‘There are one or two obstacles in the way of that. First, it’s my island.’
He shrugged his shoulders again. ‘That,’ he seemed to say, ‘is not worth answering.’ But I had a second shot in the locker for him, and I let him have it for what it was worth. I knew it might be worth nothing, but I tried it.
‘And secondly,’ I went on, ‘how many wives does Constantine propose to have?’
A hit! A hit! A palpable hit! I could have sung in glee. The fellow was dumbfoundered. He turned red, bit his lip, scowled fiercely.