“If she had, I would have killed her—and him,” muttered the girl, looking so like a beautiful fury that for a second time the Princess was dismayed by the strength of the storm which she had fanned for her own purposes. This all-important instrument needed supremely dexterous handling, and she drew away from her a little.
“I hardly know whether to go on with what I was going to tell you,” she said. “I thought you would be anxious to protect Prince Romanos from the consequences of his own indiscretion, but perhaps you would rather leave him to his punishment.”
“He is in danger from the other Englishman? But this is foolishness! She has not encouraged him—even I can see that.”
“I don’t understand. The danger has nothing to do with Princess Zoe or any Englishman. It is political.”
“Ah, he is so daring, so rash! What has he done?”
“It is what he proposes to do.” The Princess was encouraged by the softness of Donna Olimpia’s voice. “He means to throw himself into the midst of the Emathian insurgents, and lead them against the Roumis. That sounds a very fine thing to do,” with some irritation, as the girl’s eyes lighted up, “but you don’t seem to see that it means almost certain death to him, and in any case ruin to his hope of obtaining a throne.”
“For his possible throne I care nothing!” cried Donna Olimpia; “but his life—that is different. He shall not destroy himself!”
“So I thought you would say. Well, my plan was that we must manage—you and I—to keep him back, and induce Prince and Princess Theophanis to take this mad step in his place.”
The girl laughed gleefully. “And so relieve him of his opponent as well!” she said.
“Exactly. But we must work very carefully. Prince Romanos is waiting for some signal before he starts. Either he expects messengers of his own, or—which I think is more likely—he is bribing the messengers of Professor Panagiotis. It must be your business to discover when he receives the signal. He must promise not to start without bidding you farewell, and must tell you as long before he goes as possible.”