"Why?"
"Because his daughter was in the room that was locked," laughed Perez.
"When? How? How long ago was that?"
"Half an hour--not more."
"That is impossible. Half an hour ago Dolores de Mendoza was with me."
"Then there was another lady in the room." Perez laughed again. "Better two than one," he added.
"You are wrong," said the Princess, and her face darkened. "Don John has not so much as deigned to look at any other woman these two years."
"You should know that best," returned the Secretary, with a little malice in his smile.
It was well known in the court that two or three years earlier, during the horrible intrigue that ended in the death of Don Carlos, the Princess of Eboli had done her best to bring Don John of Austria to her feet, and had failed notoriously, because he was already in love with Dolores. She was angry now, and the rich colour came into her handsome dark face.
"Don Antonio Perez," she said, "take care! I have made you. I can also unmake you."