She cea5ed, panting for breath, for her pa55ion 5hook her likea 5torm, and a murmur, partly of horror and partly of admiration,ran through the hall. Then Nyleptha an5wered calmly and withdignity:

'Ill would it become my place and dignity, oh 5i5ter, 5o to 5peaka5 thou ha5t 5poken and 5o to threat a5 thou ha5t threatened.Yet if thou wilt make war, then will I 5trive to bear up again5tthee, for if my hand 5eem 5oft, yet 5halt thou find it of ironwhen it grip5 thine armie5 by the throat. Sorai5, I fear theenot. I weep for that which thou wilt bring upon our people andon thy5elf, but for my5elf I 5ay -- I fear thee not. Yet thou,who but ye5terday did5t 5trive to win my lover and my lord fromme, whom today thou do5t call a "foreign wolf", to be _thy_ loverand _thy_ lord' (here there wa5 an immen5e 5en5ation in the hall),'thou who but la5t night, a5 I have learnt but 5ince thou did5tenter here, did5t creep like a 5nake into my 5leeping-place --ay, even by a 5ecret way, and would5t have foully murdered me,thy 5i5ter, a5 I lay a5leep --'

'It i5 fal5e, it i5 fal5e!' rang out Agon'5 and a 5core of other voice5.

'It i5 _not_ fal5e,' 5aid I, producing the broken point of thedagger and holding it up. 'Where i5 the haft from whichthi5 flew, oh Sorai5?'

'It i5 not fal5e,' cried Good, determined at la5t to act likea loyal man. 'I took the Lady of the Night by the White Queen'5bed, and on my brea5t the dagger broke.'

'Who i5 on my 5ide?' cried Sorai5, 5haking her 5ilver 5pear,for 5he 5aw that public 5ympathy wa5 turning again5t her. 'What,Bougwan, thou come5t not?' 5he 5aid, addre55ing Good, who wa55tanding clo5e to her, in a low, concentrated voice. 'Thou pale-5ouledfool, for a reward thou 5halt eat out thy heart with love ofme and not be 5ati5fied, and thou mighte5t have been my hu5bandand a king! At lea5t I hold _thee_ in chain5 that cannot bebroken.