“I am glad you are angry. It helps me,” she answered, quietly; and so silenced me. “You remember I told you I had nothing to fear there; and I would have told you why, but that I was afraid I could not see him first and so warn him what not to tell you about me. That was why I rode on into the town, meaning to find him out by myself. He is from Belgrade, and, of course, knows me. I meant him to help me slip away while detaining you on some pretext.”
“Others did that for him,” I put in drily.
“You were not hurt, were you?”
“No, but you might have been.”
“I was not. By a happy chance Father Michel met me while I was in the hands of the people and had asked them to take me to him. He rescued me at once and took me to his house. I told him then about you and he gave orders for your release. Then word was brought that you had threatened to take Petrov’s life, and I wrote you that letter asking you to remain where you were for two hours. This would have given me time to get right away; and I was writing you another letter, when Petrov came back with yours. We detained him while I left, and I arranged with Father Michel to tell you all you wished to know about me.”
“You arranged it all very cleverly, Mademoiselle,” I said angrily, as I rose. “I am sorry I upset your plans. I owe you an apology. I offer it now.” I bowed with affected ceremoniousness and added like a brutal cad, in my anger: “I was a fool, of course, to have looked for further consideration.”
Her answer was a look, no more; but as I met her eyes my face flushed with the shame she made me feel for my brutality. I felt I could have torn my tongue out could the words have been unspoken. I turned and covered my flaming cheeks with my hands and walked away down the hill.
“Burgwan! Burgwan!” she called, and when I did not stop came after me and laid her hand on my shoulder. I shook it off impatiently, like a petulant child, and she placed herself in my path.
“Burgwan! Is it possible that that is how it seemed to you? My God!”
I took my hands from my face and saw that hers was white and strained.