"Where have you been?" she demanded.
Tarzan looked at her in surprise; then he smiled. "I visited the Mine of the Rising Sun."
"Where were you last night?"
"At the house of Gemnon," he replied.
"You were with Doria!" accused Nemone.
"No," said the ape-man; "that was the night before."
He had been surprised by the accusation and the knowledge that it connoted, but he did not let her see that he was surprised. He was not thinking of himself but of Doria and Gemnon, seeking a plan whereby he might protect them. It was evident that some enemy had turned informer and that Nemone already knew of the visit to the house of Thudos; therefore he felt that it would but have aroused the Queen's suspicions to have denied it; to admit it freely, to show that he sought to conceal nothing, would allay them. As a matter of fact Tarzan's frank and ready reply left Nemone rather flat.
"Why did you go to the house of Thudos?" she asked, but this time her tone was not accusing.
"You see, Gemnon does not dare to leave me alone for fear that I shall escape or that something may befall me; and so he is forced to take me wherever he goes. It is rather hard on him, Nemone, and I have been intending to ask you to make some one else responsible for me for at least a part of the time."
"We will speak of that later," replied the Queen. "Why does Gemnon go to the house of Thudos?" Nemone's eyes narrowed suspiciously.