"
I laughed. "Your lord chooses, then, that you take a seat. It seems
(I take your word for it) that there must be hard thoughts between
us. Well, a straight quarrel is soonest ended, they say: let us have
them out and get them over."
"Ah, you hurt! Is it necessary that you hurt so?" Her eyes no less
than her voice sobered me at once, shuddering together as though my
laugh had driven home a sword and it grated on the bone.
I remembered that she always winced at laughter, but this evident
anguish puzzled me.
"God knows," said I, "how I am hurting you. But pardon me.
Speak what you have to speak; and I will be patient while I learn."
"'A lifetime of dishonour,' you said, and yet you laugh . . .
A lifetime of dishonour, and you were blithe to be shot and escape
it; yet now you laugh. Ah, I cannot understand!"
"Princess!" I protested, although not even now did I grasp what
meaning she had misread into my words.
"But you said rightly. It is a lifetime of dishonour you have
suffered them to put on you: and I--I have taken more than life from
you, cavalier--yet I cannot grieve for you while you laugh.
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