“Truly, lord, I know not. I have not seen my master since the early morning, when I was thrown from my horse while in attendance upon him, and he graciously excused me from duty for the rest of the day.”
Danaë listened with delight. Petros was a worthy fellow-conspirator, after all. He was taking pains to round off her story neatly, and provide against any chance allusion to the fact of his having been seen out in this direction.
“You pursued the girl all the way from Therma after getting a bad fall?” said the blue-eyed man. “Truly, you are a stout-hearted fellow, friend Petros!”
Petros looked down, with admirably simulated confusion. “Perhaps I may have been glad to get the day to myself, lord,” he admitted. “There was the promise to my poor comrade—and I could not broach the matter to my master, lest he should feel compelled to hand over to the police one whom he would much prefer to protect.”
“Exactly. Prince Romanos knows nothing.” But Danaë detected a mocking undercurrent in the blue-eyed man’s speech. He was suspicious about something, she saw, and she wished she had not told that purposeless lie about the islands. However, since it was told, it must be maintained.
“If I might venture to offer counsel, it would be that the Lord Theophanis and the Lord Glafko should ride on to the end of to-day’s short stage, and wait for the Lord Romanos at the inn,” said Petros respectfully. “Since he is late, he will doubtless ride fast thither by the road, but if not, I shall meet him in my return to Therma, and can tell him where they are.”
“I suppose we can’t do better,” said Prince Theophanis, beckoning to the guards to bring up the horses.
“Many be your years, friend Petraki!” said Danaë triumphantly, prudence forgotten for the moment.
“Wait, my lady, only wait!” he responded, with heartfelt warmth. The blue-eyed man called Glafko was watching them closely, so that no more was possible.
“Logofet,” said the Prince, as the guards came up, “you had better walk, and let the girl ride your horse as far as the inn. To-morrow we can find her a place on one of the mules.”