"I should shoot him with the greatest pleasure in the world."
"What, without a trial?"
"Oh no! He should have a trial under martial law and welcome. What of him?"
It was a bad moment. She looked round for another loophole.
"He—he made a speech last night," she said.
"He did," said the President impatiently.
"Well, I think it must have been very inflammatory, because I heard the crowds cheering in the streets all night."
Molara looked at her in deep disgust. "My dear, how silly you are this morning," he said and returned to his paper.
The long silence that followed was broken by the hurried entrance of Miguel with an opened telegram. He walked straight up to the President and handed it to him without speaking; but Lucile could see that he was trembling with haste, excitement, or terror.
Molara opened the folded paper leisurely, smoothed it on the table and then jumped out of his chair as he read it. "Good God! when did this come?"