m America."

"Well--and . . . ?"

"Well! He has changed his mind. He is not going to Fiume. He was
watching me all the afternoon like a regular spy. People had told him
that at the banquet to-day Eros Bela had been very attentive, so one of
his jealous fits was on him."

"Not without cause, I imagine," said Andor, with a sarcastic laugh.

"Of course you would stick up for him," she retorted; "men always band
themselves together against an unfortunate girl. But Leo has behaved
like a brute. He watched me while my lord was talking to me, and caught
snatches of our conversation. Then my lord sent him out of the room to
look after his horse whilst he pressed me to give him the key of the
back door."

"I understand."

"How could I guess that Leopold would be such a swine! It seems that
when he came back he peeped into father's room and noticed at once that
the key was gone. He guessed, of course--now he has threatened to tell
father if I attempt to go out of this house. He won't let me out of his
sight, and yet I must go and give Count Feri a warning and get that key
back from him. If Leo tells father, father will half kill me, and
already Leo has threatened to strangle me if he finds me on the high
road on my way to the castle. My lord suspects nothing, of course . . ."
she added, while tears of impotence and of terror choked the words in
her throat. "He'll come here presently, and as like as not Leopold will
do for him."

She burst into a passionate fit of weeping. Andor waited quietly until
the first paroxysm of sobs had subsided, and she could hear what he
said, then he remarked quite quietly:

"As like as not, as you say."

"But I won't have him hurt," she murmured through her tears. "Leo would
kill him for sure. You don't know, Andor, what Leopold is like when the
jealous rage is in him. He is outside this house now, watching. And
there he will stand and wait and watch; and he will waylay Count Feri
when he comes, and stab him with a hideous knife which he always carries
in his pocket. Oh! It's horrible!" she moaned, "horrible! I don't know
what to do. What can I do? Andor, tell me, what can I do?"

"What would you like to do?" he asked more gently, for indeed the girl's
grief and terror were pitiable to behold.

"Run over to the castle," she replied, "and get the key back from Count
Feri, and tell him on no account to come to-night. It is only a step; I
could be back here in half an hour, and father is a