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"You are punctual, and I arateful," she murmured "If you had been

late----"

All the hardness I had felt before returned to me then

"If I had been late you would have known the reason, princess," I said

"No; but I should have feared it"

"I would have been dead"

"Dead!"

"Yes; but, unfortunately, the attempt upon my life did not succeed,

thanks to Fate and poor marksmanship"

"The attempt on your life! I do not understand"

I turned my head so that she could see where the plaster hid the wound

made by the bullet of the would-be assassin

"A better ement,

princess," I said

She extended one hand and rested a finger lightly upon the wound, as

though she intended the ently turned my face towards hers; yet she did it in a way that was

devoid of intiestive

of faesture of womanly tenderness; and there was

undoubtedly horror in her eyes, and a flash of angry resentment, too

"You think that I abackward