"Ah, so! But how much rope would the duke give him, do you think, on a pinch?"
"All the rope he cares to take. Stephen's protection is all-powerful in Krolvetz; and elsewhere Chatelard depends, as I have said, on his wits."
"But there must be some limit to the duke's stretch of conscience!"
Mélanie's eyes took on their far-away look. "Perhaps there is," she said at last, "but who can guess where that limit is? Besides, all he asks of his henchmen is results. He never inquires as to methods."
"Well, what do you think is the exact result Duke Stephen wants, in this case?"
"He wants me either to return to Krolvetz and marry his brother, or—"
Mélanie's hesitation was prolonged.
"Or—what?'
"Or to disappear so completely that there will be no question of my return. You see, it's a peculiar case. If I marry without his consent—"
"Which you are about to do—" cut in Aleck.