“Did he give you permission to leave your own country?”
“No; neither did he tell me I should not do so.”
“Suppose he had done the latter?”
“I should have remained in Abyssinia,” replied Zulima, giving utterance to a lie.
“Do you really wish to see Henry Stolburst die?” asked the detective.
The beauty broke down. Flinging herself upon a sofa, face downward, she gave way to a fit of weeping.
Burt remained silent until the girl’s tears were expended. Then she arose from the sofa.
“Monsieur,” she said, “I hope they will not kill their prisoner.”
“You talked in quite a different strain not long ago.”
“That was to tantalize you.”