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"Marius," she said "Ho, my Lord, do you come here like this, into my private room? Ho, you come by the , and with Amadeo? What is this, jealousy of me?"

"No, only I would have a confession," ht by my hand as if I were aout to accuse her"Tell hiel, tell him what lies behind your fabulous face "

"I don't knohat you er me And I order you out of my house Amadeo, what do you say to this abuse?"

"I don't know, Bianca," I murmured I was totally in fear Never had I heard my Master's voice tremble, and never had I heard anyone address him so familiarly by name

"Get out of my house, Marius Go now I speak to the honorable man in you "

"Ah, and how then did your friend Marcellus go, the Florentine, the one you were told to lure here with your clever words, the one whose drink you laced with enough poison to kill twenty men?"

My darew brittle but never really hard She see Master

"What is this to you, my Lord?" she asked "Have you become the Grand Council or the Council of Ten? Take es, if you will, you stealthy sorcerer! Prove your words "

There was a great high-strung dignity to her She craned her neck and raised her chin

"Murderess," my Master said "I see it noithin the solitary cell of your mind, a dozen confessions, a dozen cruel and importunate acts, a dozen crimes- "

"No, you cannot judge el, Marius Not you with your boys "

He dragged her forward, and once again I saw his mouth open I saw his deadly teeth

"No, Master, no!" I ripped loose of his slack neglected hand and flew at hion hiht "You can't do it, Master I don't care what she's done You seek these reasons for what Call her importunate? Her! And what is it with you?"

She fell backwards against her bed and struggled up onto it, her legs bent She drew back into the shadows

"You are the Fiend from Hell himself," she whispered "You are a monster, and I have seen it Amadeo, he'll never let me live "