I smiled. "Possibly; but I think I was going to win. I began to see mate ahead."
"General!" I cried in protest; to let him see that I understood. I had given him the opening intentionally, but had scarcely expected he would take such immediate advantage of it.
We both laughed; he with a suggestion of triumph.
"If I am not to go, we had better set the men and start a new game," I said, and began to arrange the pieces for the game.
"I don't wish to play. I wish to talk," he declared, and then very abruptly he got up and began to walk about the room, until he stopped suddenly close to me. I knew what was coming then.
"Do you know why I wished you to come here to-day?"
"Yes, I think so--but don't ask it." I was very serious and met his eyes frankly.
"How quick you are, and how daring. Any other woman would have been afraid to say that--afraid of being thought conceited. Why shouldn't I ask it?"
"I don't want to lose one out of the only friends I have in Pesth, perhaps the only one, General. And--other reasons."
He looked down at me and sighed. "Just now----" he began, when I interrupted him.
"I did it intentionally, thinking this thing should be settled at once, better at once--and for always, General."
"I have found out since you went what I never suspected before. I am a very lonely old man, for all my wealth and my position."
"We can still play chess--if not to-night; still on other nights. To-night, I too want to talk to you."
He made no answer, but moved away and walked about the room again in silence; throwing himself at length into a lounge chair and staring in front of him blankly and disconsolately.
After a time he roused himself and gave a deep, long sigh.
"Very well. We must leave it there, I suppose."
"No, we can't leave it there, General. I told you I wanted to talk to you." I left my chair and taking one close to his side, I laid my hand on his. "I need a friend so sorely. Won't you be that friend?"
His fingers closed on my hand, and he held it in a firm clasp.
"With all my heart, yes," he answered. "What is the matter?"
His ready assent moved me so that for the moment I could not reply.
"If I tell you all my little story, you will hold it in confidence?"
He looked up and smiled. "I would do much more than that for you, Christabel," he answered, simply, using my name now without any hesitation, and in a quite different tone from that before. "You may trust me implicitly, child, on my honour."