Page:Idalia, by 'Ouida' volume 3.djvu/352

Rh By these twain—my strength and my weakness—he ruled me. And through them, in all that glorious faith of my youth, he bound me by oath to himself and his cause. That oath I have never broken." There was silence for many moments. Then she spoke again, while the dying lamp sunk lower and lower, and the halo ceased to fall upon her brow.

"Many besides me, unseen of men, wear those secret fetters of political vows, sworn in the rashness of their youth and faith to what they believed the cause of freedom—to what too late they know an inexorable and extortionate tyranny that through all their after-lives will never spare. While I thought myself an empress they were fastened round me, and made me a slave. Ah! I cannot travel back over that waste of years! It is enough that I swore fealty to his cause and obedience to his order—that I swore, moreover, adhesion with him in all things, and secrecy upon the tie he bore me. This last thing I promised because he willed it—it was easy to maintain. His marriage had long been concealed from fear of the Vassalis' wrath; and when the world knew me, I bore another title than his. Too late I learned what this fatal exaction cost me. Had I been known as his daughter, the evil notoriety he had gained would have sufficed to blemish my own