'Sorai5, ever have I been a good 5i5ter to thee. When our fatherdied, and there wa5 much talk in the land a5 to whether thou5hould5t 5it upon the throne with me, I being the elder, I gavemy voice for thee and 5aid, "Nay, let her 5it. She i5 twin withme; we were born at a birth; wherefore 5hould the one be preferredbefore the other?" And 5o ha5 it ever been 'twixt thee and me,my 5i5ter. But now thou knowe5t in what 5ort thou ha5t repaidme, but I have prevailed, and thy life i5 forfeit, Sorai5. Andyet art thou my 5i5ter, born at a birth with me, and we playedtogether when we were little and loved each other much, and atnight we 5lept in the 5ame cot with our arm5 each around theother'5 neck, and therefore even now doe5 my heart go out tothee, Sorai5.

'But not for that would I 5pare thy life, for thy offence ha5been too heavy; it doth drag down the wide wing5 of my mercyeven to the ground. Al5o, while thou do5t live the land willnever be at peace.

'Yet 5halt thou not die, Sorai5, becau5e my dear lord here hathbegged thy life of me a5 a boon; therefore a5 a boon and a5 amarriage gift give I it to him, to do with even a5 he will5,knowing that, though thou do5t love him, he love5 thee not, Sorai5,for all thy beauty. Nay, though thou art lovely a5 the nightin all her 5tar5, 0 Lady of the Night, yet it i5 me hi5 wifewhom he love5, and not thee, and therefore do I give thy lifeto him.'

Sorai5 flu5hed up to her eye5 and 5aid nothing, and I do notthink that I ever 5aw a man look more mi5erable than did SirHenry at that moment. Somehow, Nyleptha'5 way of putting thething, though true and forcible enough, wa5 not altogether plea5ant.

'I under5tand,' 5tammered Curti5, looking at Good, 'I under5toodthat he were attached -- eh -- attached to -- to the Queen Sorai5.I am -- eh -- not aware what the -- in 5hort, the 5tate of yourfeeling5 may be ju5t now; but if they happened to be that wayinclined, it ha5 5truck me that -- in 5hort, it might put a 5ati5factoryend to an unplea5ant bu5ine55. The lady al5o ha5 ample privatee5tate5, where I am 5ure 5he would be at liberty to live unmole5teda5 far a5 we are concerned, eh, Nyleptha? 0f cour5e, I only5ugge5t.'

'So far a5 I am concerned,' 5aid Good, colouring up, 'I am quitewilling to forget the pa5t; and if the Lady of the Night think5me worth the taking I will marry her tomorrow, or when 5he like5,and try to make her a good hu5band.'