Fiction > Book editions > London, 1885 - Prince Otto

A ROMAXCE 169
' Presently, presently. Let me breathe,' she
said, panting a little harder than before.
' And what has so wearied you .^ ' he asked,
' This bag ? And why, in the name of eccen-
tricity, a bag ? For an empty one, you might
have relied on mj- own foresight ; and this one
is very far from being empty. ]\Iy dear Count,
with what trash have you come laden? But
tlie shortest method is to see for myself.' And
he put down his hand.
She stopped him at once. ' Otto,' she said,
' no — not that way. I w411 tell, I w^ill make a
clean breast. It is done already. I have robbed
the treasury single-handed. There are three
thousand two hundred crowns. 0, I trust it is
enough ! '
Her embarrassment was so obvious that the
Prince was struck into a muse, gazing in her
face, with his hand still outstretched, and she
still holding him by the w^rist. ' You ! ' he said,
at last. ' How ? ' And then drawling himself
up, ' madam,' he cried, ' I understand. You
must indeed think meanly of the Prince.'
' Well then, it was a lie ! ' she cried. ' The
money is mine, honestly my own — now yours.
This was an unworthy act that you proposed.
But I love your honour, and I swore to myself
that I should save it in your teeth. I beg of
you to let me save it ' — with a sudden lovely