She freed herself and took a step back.
"Oh, no! Not yet!" she said sadly. "No, not even yet! When you have tried your plan—and I give you leave, now—when you have succeeded in freeing me—then we will be married. Oh, you must free me first—I can't share you with Edna—you must destroy her, before she destroys me!"
"Very well," I said. "I can't urge you further, though I am afraid there is a great risk in delay. I must go up to town first, and I shall have to leave you here, of course. I doubt if I could manage Edna, should she appear to-morrow while we're in town. But I shall return as soon as possible—to-morrow at the latest. Now I must get ready to take the one o'clock train up."
As we sat in the library waiting for Uncle Jerdon, Joy took up the crystal prism and watched abstractedly the rainbow spot upon the ceiling.
"You're leaving for the second time," she said. "It's the end of the second quest, isn't it? I'm afraid the White Cat has no piece of cloth fine enough to give her Prince, though."
I pointed up at the streak of prismatic color.
"There's a veil of beauty as wonderful as that the king's son brought home. Surely it's fine and subtle enough to pass through the eye of a cambric needle!"
She handed the crystal to me with a tender smile.
"Keep it, Son of a King! And, if you win me, I'll see you clad in those rainbow hues all my life long!"
At one o'clock I was in the train on the way to town, deliberating my plan and arranging for the preparations I must make.