The officer had withdrawn and closed the door after him.
They were alone, with nothing to fear; yet she did not recognize
him.
"You are the king," she continued in cold, level tones, "but if you
are also a gentleman, you will at once order me returned to my
father at Lustadt, and with me the man to whom you owe so much. I do
not expect it of you, but I wish to give you the chance.
"I shall not go without him. I am betrothed to you; but until
tonight I should rather have died than wed you. Now I am ready to
compromise. If you will set Mr. Custer at liberty in Serbia and
return me unharmed to my father, I will fulfill my part of our
betrothal."
Barney Custer looked straight into the girl's face for a long
moment. A half smile played upon his lips at the thought of her
surprise when she learned the truth, when suddenly it dawned upon
him that she and he were both much safer if no one, not even her
loyal self, guessed that he was other than the king. It is not
difficult to live a part, but often it is difficult to act one. Some
little word or look, were she to know that he was Barney Custer,
might betray them; no, it was better to leave her in ignorance,
though his conscience pricked him for the disloyalty that his act
implied.
It seemed a poor return for her courage and loyalty to him that her
statement to the man she thought king had revealed.
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