Her voice died away in a low shudder. Lopez himself was moved. He had not been in the least prepared for such an utter break-down as this. Ah! now he saw that Katie could love, and how she could love! At the force of that love all else passed away—pride, shame, hate, all; everything was forgotten except that name, upon which her voice dwelt with such longing.
"Yes," he said, "he is a spy. He is now being tried, or rather, he has been tried—for I may as well tell it—and has been condemned. I need say no more about it; I have already said enough. You know the fate of a condemned spy. Before another hour all will be over."
At first Katie seemed about to faint, but the last sentence roused her. She started up, and again seized his arm with her convulsive grasp. With white, tremulous lips she said, in a low voice which had sunk to a whisper,
"An hour! an hour! Did you say—another hour?"
Lopez bowed his head in silence.
"But you—you—you," said Katie, fiercely—"you do not believe him guilty?"
"I have nothing to do with it," said Lopez, coldly.
"Nothing to do? Are you not commander here?"
"Yes."
"Can you do nothing?" she asked again.