“Open your eyes, darling,” he whispered, and she obeyed. Then their lips met--her first kiss of love!
She trembled from head to foot, perfectly powerless beneath the spell. Again he kissed a princess on her throne. At this second kiss her eyes grew wide with terror, and she sprang from his side, standing before him like one bereft of reason.
“Oh, my God! What have you done?” she wailed. He staggered to his feet, dizzy with joy.
“Ha!” cried a gruff voice from the doorway, and the guilty ones whirled to look upon the witness to their blissful crime. Inside the curtains, with carbine leveled at the head of the American, stood Allode, the guard, his face distorted by rage. The Princess screamed and leaped between Lorry and the threatening carbine.
He angrily cried out something in his native tongue and she breathlessly, imploringly replied. Lorry did not understand their words, but he knew that she had saved him from death at the hand of her loyal, erring guard. Allode lowered his gun, bowed low and turned his back upon the throne.
“He--he would have killed you,” she said, tremulously, her face the picture of combined agony and relief. She remembered the blighting kisses and then the averted disaster.
“You--what did you say to him?” he asked.
“I--I--oh, I will not tell you,” she cried.
“I told him that he was to--was to put down his gun.”
“How did you explain the--the--” He hesitated, generously.
“I told him that I had not been--that I had not been--”
“That I had not been--offended!” she gasped, standing stiff and straight, with eyes glued upon the obedient guard.
“I said it only to save your life!” she cried, turning fiercely upon him. “I shall never forgive you! Never! You must go--you must leave here at once! Do you hear? I cannot have you near me now--I cannot see you again. Ach, God! What have I given you the right to say of me?”
“Yes, yes--I understand! I trust you, but you must go! Find some excuse to give your friend and go to-day! Go now!” she cried, intensely, first putting her hands to her temples, then to her eyes.
Without waiting to hear his remonstrance, if indeed he had the power to utter one, she glided swiftly toward the curtains, allowing him to follow at his will. Dazed and crushed at the sudden end to everything, he dragged his footsteps after. At the door she spoke in low, imperative tones to the motionless Allode, who dropped to his knees and muttered a reverential response. As Lorry passed beneath the hand that held the curtain aside, he glanced at the face of the man who had been witness to their weakness. He was looking straight ahead, and, from his expression, it could not have been detected that he knew there was a man on earth save himself. In the hall she turned to him, her face cold and pale.