Olga passed her hand across her forehead.
"I was mad, I think.
But that is all over.
You need have no fear now, Mr. Ware.
My passion for you has spent itself."
"Olga!" cried the Princess, scandalized, "you rave!"
"No," answered her daughter; "I did last time Mr. Ware and I were together, but now I talk sense.
Did he not tell?"
"I told nothing," interposed Giles quickly; "and you had better relate when and where you left Anne, so that we can find her."
"I'll do all in my power to save her and bring her back to you, Mr. Ware.
I was mad to talk and act as I did; but I have been punished by the loss of Anne."
"Olga!" cried the Princess in desperation, "for Heaven's sake speak reasonably!
Why did you go out with Anne last night?"
"There was a note for Anne from Mark Dane, asking her to meet him near the Abbey.
She wanted to see him, as he vanished after the supposed death of her father."
"Of Alfred Denham," interrupted the Princess angrily; "I will not have that man called Anne's father."
"Of Denham," said Olga obediently. "Anne wished to learn why her father had acted in so peculiar a way.
She could not understand his behavior."
"He is a scoundrel and Anne a saint," said the Princess bitterly. "No wonder she could not understand him.
She thinks he is a good man."
"But surely she knows that he killed Daisy Kent," said Giles.
"No," interposed Olga; "she denies that he did.
I expect Denham has managed to deceive her in some way."
"Why did you not undeceive her, mademoiselle?"
"It was not yet time," responded the girl quietly, "but my mother told her a portion of the truth."
"Yes.
I said that she was my child and that Denham had been impersonating her father, George Franklin."
"Then she can't think Denham a good man now," said Giles.
"I don't know," replied the Princess hopelessly. "He has such power over her.
He has been her father so-called for so long that she finds it difficult to believe ill of him."
"To learn the truth was why she insisted on seeing Dane," said the girl. "Dane knew all about Denham, and Anne thought she would make him confess what he knew."
"And did he?"
"That I can't say.
I went out with Anne and we walked to the appointed spot.
Mark Dane was waiting for us."
"Was he not astonished when he saw you?"
"Why should he be astonished?" asked Olga, looking sharply at Ware.
"Because I understand from Steel that he troubled you with letters."
"You mean that Dane was in love with me.
Yes.
He was and is."
"Olga," cried her mother again, "do behave yourself."
"Oh, this is too serious to be a mere matter of behavior, mother.
I have made use of Dane's love to learn all about the society of the Scarlet Cross, to which Franklin and Dane belong."
"You can tell us that later," said the Princess impatiently. "I want to know how you lost Anne."
"Well, mother, Dane was astonished to see me.
He was most respectful, and said that he had a message for Anne from her father——"
"From Denham."
"Yes.
Anne mentioned that Denham was not her father, that she had just heard the truth, and Dane was amazed.