"Those who know, know," retorted Chaldea indifferently. "Hearne's breath was out of him before I could ask."
"Why do you say that I wrote the letter?"
"The tiny rye swore by his God that you did."
"It is absolutely false!"
"Oh, my mother, there are liars about," jeered the gypsy sceptically. "Catch you blabbing your doings on the crook, my rani, Chore mandy—"
"Speak English," interrupted Agnes, who was quivering with rage.
"You can't cheat me," translated Chaldea sulkily. "You write my rye, here, the letter swearing to run world-wide with him, and let it fall into your rom's hands, so as to fetch him to the big house. Then did you, my cunning gentleman," she whirled round on the astounded Lambert viciously, "hide so quietly in the bushes to shoot. Hai! it is so, and I love you for the boldness, my Gorgious one."
"It is absolutely false," cried Lambert, echoing Agnes.
"True! true! and twice times true. May I go crazy, Meg, if it isn't. You wanted the raclan as your romi, and so plotted my brother's death. But your sweet one will go before the Poknees, and with irons on her wrists, and a rope round her—"
"You she-devil!" shouted Lambert in a frenzy of rage, and forgetting in his anger the presence of Agnes.