He sat down and drew her to his side. Some moments passed before he could speak.
"I cannot and will not permit you to make such a sacrifice for me. The proposition of Bolaroz is known to me. If you produce me for trial you are to have a ten years' extension. My duty is plain. I am no cowardly criminal, and I am not afraid to face my accusers. At the worst, I can die but once."
"Die but once," she repeated, as if in a dream.
"I came here to tell you of my decision, to ask you to save your lands, protect your people, and to remember that I would die a thousand times to serve you and yours."
"After all I have done--after all I have done," she murmured, piteously. "No, no! You shall not! You are more to me than all my kingdom, than all the people in the world. You have made me love you, you have caused me to detest the throne which separates us, you have made me pray that I might be a pauper, but you shall not force me to destroy the mite of hope that lingers in my heart. You shall not crush the hope that there may be a--a--some day!"
"A some day? Some day when you will be mine?" he cried.
"I will not say that, but, for my sake,--for my sake,--go away from this place. Save yourself! You are all I have to live for." Her arms were about his neck and her imploring words went to his heart like great thrusts of pain.
"You forget the thousands who love and trust you. Do they deserve to be wronged?"
"No, no,--ach, God, how I have suffered because of them! I have betrayed them, have stolen their rights and made them a nation of beggars. But I would not, for all this nation, have an innocent man condemned--nor could my people ask that of me. You cannot dissuade me. It must be as I wish. Oh, why does not Quinnox come for you!" She arose and paced the floor distractedly.
He was revolving a selfish, cowardly capitulation to love and injustice, when a sharp tap was heard at the door. Leaping to his feet he whispered: "Quinnox! He has come for me. Now to get out of your room without being seen!"
The Princess Yetive ran to him, and, placing her hands on his shoulders, cried with the fierceness of despair: "You will go back to the monastery? You will leave Graustark? For my sake--for my sake!"
He hesitated and then surrendered, his honor falling weak and faint by the pathway of passion.