"We have our witnesses, Baron Ostrova, the duke's secretary, and a Cossack sentinel."
A murmur of indignation ran through the assembly at the envoy's insolent language.
"And you have the word of a princess," replied Barbara, with dignity, "word purer far than that of twenty Ostrovas or twenty Cossacks. But we have a witness whom even the envoy of the Czar must respect. My lord of Bora, stand forth."
And to the surprise of those, unaware till then of his presence, the Duke of Bora, who had been keeping in the background, came forward and stood before the throne.
However great his sympathy with the envoy's aims, however much embittered with the princess by reason of his imprisonment, he durst not in her presence, and in the presence of other witnesses of his arrest, state anything else but the truth.
With a forced smile he bowed to Orloff, his fellow-conspirator.
"As the princess avers," he said, "there has been some error on the part of his Majesty's informants. My arrest took place on the Czernovese side of the frontier."
The envoy grew more disconcerted at this, his second failure to entangle the princess in his political net.
"A twofold offence has been committed in his Majesty's dominions," he continued; "first, in the matter of the duel itself, duelling being contrary to the law of Russia; and, secondly, in the matter of corrupting by bribes a soldier of the Czar, a Cossack sentinel."
"That honest Cossack," said Barbara, sweetly, "whose testimony you would have used against me?"