"Think what you will of me," he said, "but do not let the shadow of a suspicion rest on Zinka. You know that if you hold up a cross to the devil himself, his power is quelled."
Without answering a word the general hurried past Sempaly and straight into the ball-room; but he found time to lock behind him the alcove door leading into the garden. In the ball-room he was met by the baroness who anxiously asked him:
"Where is Zinka? have you seen Zinka?"
"Zinka felt shaken and upset by her fall--she went away a long time since, with Lady Julia who took her home."
He spoke very distinctly and in French, so that several persons who were standing near might hear him. "She might have let me know," exclaimed the baroness peevishly.
"We looked for you, but could nowhere find you," said the general. Never in his life before had he told a lie.
At some unearthly hour next morning he called on Lady Julia to confide to her the mystery of the night's adventure, that she might not contradict his story; as he had actually put Zinka into her carriage there seemed to be no other danger. Though she disliked the falsehood as much as he did, she was quite ready to confirm the fiction; at the same time she could not help saying again and again:
"Poor little thing! I hope it may all come right!"