"You are aware, señora," said he, "that when I captured this castle there were several prisoners."
Katie nodded.
"I suppose so," said she. "I don't know."
"Very well. Among them was your dear friend—"
"My dear friend? Who? Not 'His Majesty?'"
Lopez laughed bitterly. "How transparent that little trick is," he said to himself.
"By 'your dear friend,'" said he, "I mean, of course, Mr. Ashby."
"Mr. Ashby! Oh!" said Katie.
To tell the truth, by this time Katie had almost forgotten his existence. She seemed to herself to have lived years since last she spoke to Mr. Ashby. So she said, in an indifferent tone,
"Mr. Ashby? Oh!"