"Now, thou dog, open thy lips, and say what fell into thine ears whilst thou wast listening at the door of the ladies' apartments."
"Truly, thy mean servant could not hear much, for little was said by the princess."
"Then how, thou trembling rogue, couldst thou know it was a princess who spoke?"
"Thy servant divined that the lady must be of exalted rank; for in the first place, had she not been a great lady escaping from the province of Pekin, she would not have crossed the gulf in such weather, neither would so noble a youth as thyself have treated a sister with such exalted respect."
"Thou art a cunning dog, whose words are dust; and if thou dost not admit that thy vile ears were at that door before the time when thou wert caught, I will slay thee," said Nicholas, drawing his short sword, and holding it threateningly.
"Pardon, O noble youth; but as iron can not resist the lode-stone, neither can the ears of thy servant resist a secret: he did—did listen," said the man trembling with fear.
"What didst thou hear, dog?" the sword was now at his throat.
"That the Emperor Wey-t-song was slain, and that the Emperor Li had offered a great reward for the Princess of the Mings."
"Should I kill thee, thou mean rat, thou wouldst but meet thy merits."
"The magnanimous youth would not soil his sword with the blood of so mean a person."