"My poor child, my poor Polixena!" he cried, and wept and clasped her.
"You are rich, are you not? You would promise them a ransom?" she persisted.
"To enable you to marry the Marquess?"
"To enable you to escape from this place. Oh, I hope I may never see your face again." She fell to weeping once more, and he drew away and paced the floor in a fever.
Presently she sprang up with a fresh air of resolution, and pointed to a clock against the wall. "The hour is nearly over. It is quite true that my father is gone to fetch his chaplain. Oh, I implore you, be warned by me! There is no other way of escape."
"And if I do as you say—?"
"You are safe! You are free! I stake my life on it."
"And you—you are married to that villain?"
"But I shall have saved you. Tell me your name, that I may say it to myself when I am alone."
"My name is Anthony. But you must not marry that fellow."