“A copy of the note addressed to you is in the hands of the Chancellor, as having been found among Prince Roel’s papers,” he replied. “I have, as you know, had to interest myself in the matter from political reasons. So far as my memory serves me, the words were these:
“‘I send you herewith two bunches of roses, white and red; the white signify love and life; the red, hate and death. Those which you will wear to-night must decide my fate. R.’ Those,” he added with a smile, which seemed to deprecate further denial on her part, “were the words. And you wore the red roses.”
She met his look and replied, unfalteringly—
“Count, I can only repeat I never got the note you speak of, nor the white roses. You, who seem to know so much, should at least know that.”
Her manner was one of defiance rather than defence or explanation, and Zarka felt that intimidation here would hardly serve his purpose. Accordingly he changed his tone.
“I am very glad to hear it,” he said sympathetically, “and more especially for your own sake. But it seems to me that some hideous mistake has been made, possibly by an enemy of the Prince’s, a mistake which is likely to have cost him his life. It strikes, as I have hinted, a particularly cruel blow at you, Fräulein. For the world will hardly believe that you wore the red roses by accident, not design. And—I do not wish to alarm you, but it is necessary to realize and face the situation—the effect on the Prince’s family and friends must be bitter enough to lead to danger to yourself.”
“Danger!” the girl echoed scornfully. “I am not afraid, knowing that I have done nothing to deserve their ill-feeling. What do you mean by danger, Count? It is, as you say, best to know how one stands.”
Zarka affected to hesitate, as shrinking from a truth which might alarm her.
“These Eastern Huns,” he replied slowly and with an assumed deliberation, “are a peculiar race, given to fits of ungovernable passion, and actuated by a blind spirit of revenge for a wrong, fancied or real. They are dangerous people to cross, hot-headed and unreasoning, and there is no knowing to what length their vindictiveness may carry them.”
“I understand your suggestion,” the girl said almost coldly. “Do these people wreak their vengeance on women? I always thought they were chivalrous.”