"No," she replied, smiling at him. "If you succeed, I shall regret nothing. A pawn has small chance, when the fate of kings is in question."
He was silent for a moment.
"I hope that you will understand my position, Countess. It is not my wish to make war upon women——"
"But one's duty is paramount, of course," she put in quickly. "I am not squeamish, Captain Goritz, but if my—my—er—elimination is necessary to your plans, it is only fair that I should be advised of the fact in time to say my prayers."
He regarded her soberly. Was she laughing at him? Her mien was quite serious, but her tone was sprightly—even flippant.
"It would be a matter of profound regret to me, Countess Strahni," he said, with some dignity, "if any misfortune should happen to you while under my charge."
"It is so nice of you to put it that way," she smiled at him. "Under other conditions, you know, we might even have been friends."
"I would be deeply pained if you should consider me an enemy," he replied.
"Ach! leider!" she sighed. "A prisoner can have no choice."
He made no reply to that and sank back into his favorite position with arms folded, staring straight before him. This girl was too handsome to quibble with. Her newly discovered cheerfulness disturbed him. He had known in abundance women of courage, women of skill in dissimulation, but he remembered that when they were both beautiful and clever it was the part of wisdom to be upon one's guard.