“Jibes? Is that a jibe?” And she raised her arm and waved it to where the Princess Christina stood, her face covered with deep ruby blushes. “An unconventional love avowal, at any rate. You are a brave man, Count Benderoff, and I do believe that much rarer thing, a modest one; but at least you should not quarrel with me because I tell the Princess that you love her, and let you see by the surest token that a woman can give that she loves you in return.”
At this the Princess sank upon a chair and concealed her face in her hands, between the white fingers of which the deep red glow was showing.
I turned away and would not let her think I had seen it.
“Your cowardice and insolence have drained my patience,” I said fiercely to the Countess. “Come,” and I went to the door.
She stood a few seconds, as if hesitating whether to defy me longer, and glanced in infinite triumph at the troubled figure of the Princess.
“If the interview has not accomplished your object,” she cried, “at least it has not been without interest;” and with a last insolent, exultant laugh, she swept out of the room, followed closely by me, more resolved than ever to cage this angry, dangerous tigress.
CHAPTER XIV
THE COUNTESS’S RUSE
As we crossed the hall she turned to leave the house by the front door, where Zoiloff was standing.
“I have something still to say to you,” I said shortly, as I opened the door of the room where I had seen her before this futile interview.
“You wish to thank me, I suppose, for having been the means of revealing to each of you the other’s love,” she answered, with another of her flaunting laughs; though she changed quickly and said: “You may spare your thanks. I had a purpose—and you will soon learn the reason. I am a dangerous woman, for all your contempt of me.”