“If evil comes to him,” she said, steadily, “the King shall know all.”
He drew a little closer to her. An ugly smile curved his lips.
“It cannot be, Countess, that your interest in this fellow is personal. He is not of your order. You would not be so cruel as to bestow upon him a consideration which you deny to your equals!”
“It seems to me,” she said, calmly, “that you are trying to be impertinent. The nature of my interest in Mr. Brand can be no concern of yours. It is sufficient that what I have said I mean!”
“I do not find it sufficient,” he answered, quietly.
She turned upon him haughtily. Her delicate eyebrows were drawn together. Her eyes were aglow with anger. Domiloff watched her stealthily. Why had he never realized how handsome she was? He drew a little nearer to her.
“What do you mean?” she demanded. “Insolent!”
“Countess,” he answered, “it is very strange to me that you should so long have been ignorant of the truth. Do you think that it is for the sake of Theos I have planned for the overthrow of Ughtred of Tyrnaus? Do you think that it is for your brother’s sake that I have smoothed his way to the throne? No! My reward has always been clear before me. I have looked for it always at your hands.”
“At my hands?”
He winced before the amazed scorn of her words. Yet he continued steadily.