spoken of Hugh Renwick's connection with
hated Serbia--these memories of their association lingered and
persisted. She feared him. The failure of their mission would perhaps
have made a difference; and the promise of a man whose whole existence
was a living lie, was but a slender reed to hang upon.

She straightened abruptly and gazed before her in sudden dismay. Her
word of honor--as a Strahni! She was breaking her promise--had already
broken it. For she had pledged herself to Goritz--to go with him whither
he pleased, if he would enable her to save the life of Sophie Chotek.

But he had failed! _But he had failed!_ She clutched at the sophistry
desperately. Goritz had failed. Under such conditions should she
consider her promise binding? It had been conditional. Liberty, there in
the street below, just at her elbow, and Hugh Renwick within reach! She
came to this conclusion with desperate speed, and quickly addressed and
sealed the envelope.

Yeva, before the mirror, was wrapped in admiration of her new
possession.

"Am I not beautiful in it, Fraeulein?" she was asking as she twisted and
turned, examining herself at every angle.

"Yes, Yeva," said Marishka quietly, "but it is not a garment in which
one goes out upon the street."

"The street!" Yeva laughed deliciously. "I would make a sensation in
Bosna-Seraj, I can tell you, attired only in this and a _yashmak_."

And then seeing the note lying upon the tabourette, she came running
with little childish footsteps. "Ah, you have sealed it! And you are not
going to let me see?"

"It is nothing, Yeva."

"But I thought----" peevishly.

"How can you be interested in my little affairs?"

"I hoped that he might come and I should see him through the _dutap_."

"Perhaps he may!" said Marishka with an inspiration. "Could you be
trusted to keep this message a secret? To tell no one?"

"I have already promised----"

"Not even to Zubeydeh----?"

"Of course not. Zubeydeh is old and ugly. She would not understand what
a young girl thinks about."

"And can you go out without her knowing?"

"By the private stairway. Of course. There is another door below,
locked, but I can procure a key."

"Then I too----" Marishka paused and Yeva turned, reading her thoughts.

"Ah, I understand. You wish to go to him. It is a pity, but it is
impossible."

"Impossible! Why?"

"I can do the Fraeulein a favor, since she has been kind to me, but to
disobey the commands of my l