Page:Idalia, by 'Ouida' volume 2.djvu/208

Rh His friend looked on impatiently; it incensed him to see this callous, thoughtless, tyrannous, unscrupulous Greek moved by her danger thus; it made his own traitor-shame weigh heavier on his heart. He did not lose his self-command; but he spoke almost insolently, on the spur of the misery that he choked down out of sight.

"Your beautiful Countess is too fair for the scourge and the cell, there is no doubt of that. I dare say she will never be condemned to them. Giulio Villaflor has too good a taste for such dainty paintings to shut them in solitude; he will not be likely to let so rare a flower wither in a prison-court. Miladi Idalia has better coin to buy indulgence with than all the gold of Europe!"

In his own wretchedness it was a cruel relief to him to fling dishonour at the woman he had betrayed, and to torment the man whose self-acusing contrition made him feel more sharply his own baseness.

Conrad Phaulcon started up impetuously, with deadly blasphemies muttered under his breath, as he paced the chamber like a leopard lashed to fury.

"You do not know Idalia," he said, savagely. "She would die sooner"

Vane laughed a flippant, nonchalant, silvery laugh.