"A glove her Highness lately dropped here," was the timid answer,
innocently precipitating the very discovery which the woman had
been too hastily dispatched to avert.
The Elector flung the glove at her, and there was a creak of evil
laughter from him. When she had departed' he turned again to
Koenigsmark.
"You fence skilfully," said he, sneering, "too skilfully for an
honest man. Will you now tell me without any more of this,
precisely what the Princess Sophia was doing here with you?"
Koenigsmark drew himself stiffly up, looking squarely into the
furnace of the Elector's face.
"Your Highness assumes that the Princess was here with me, and a
prince is not to be contradicted, even when he insults a lady
whose spotless purity is beyond his understanding. But your
Highness can hardly expect me to become in never so slight a
degree a party to that insult by vouchsafing any answer to your
question."
"That is your last word, sir?" The Elector shook with suppressed
anger.
"Your Highness cannot think that words are necessary?"
The bulging eyes grew narrow, the heavy nether lip was thrust
forth in scorn and menace.
"You are relieved, sir, of your duties in the Electoral Guard,
and as that is the only tie binding you to Hanover, we see no
reason why your sojourn here should be protracted.
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