“But how could he know this? Answer me that at once.”
“I—”
“Will you deign to inform me whether you condescended so far as to answer the love-letters of this young man, for I have no doubt he favored you with many?”
“I wrote only one insignificant reply,” said Wistaria.
“And what, pray, did you say in this reply?”.
“I implored him to follow us no farther. I besought him to give up the impossible exploit of entering our grounds, and, knowing what would be his fate if he attempted to do so, I also informed him that if he must indeed enter, to do so by way of the south river, that a portion of our grounds ran down to this honorable river and was unprotected by the walls, which otherwise surrounded us on all sides.”
“So it seems that you have betrayed to our enemy the weakness of our condition?”
“Not an enemy, lady! He is not, indeed.”
“And may I ask how your redoubtable lover, having gained entrance to our grounds, also contrived to wedge his way into the palace and become a guest of our hospitality?”
“Toro—” faltered Wistaria.