"
Her smile still lingered.
"The bargain, sir, the bargain!"
"I issued the order, madame, because you have falsely proclaimed
yourself my wife, and I intend to confine your acting as such within
the limits of this town. So long as you pose as my wife you will never
pass the gates of Dornlitz."
"In other words, I am to be prisoner for life," she said.
"That is for you to determine," I answered.
She studied my face, a bit.
"I suppose you want me to consent to a divorce," she said.
"Divorce implies marriage," I answered.
She shook her head and smiled tolerantly.
"I really can't promise to die just to accommodate Your Highness," she
said.
I made no reply.
"And that suggests the inquiry, Your Majesty," she said; "as the wife
of the Prince Armand am I not a Grand Duchess of Valeria and a Royal
Highness?"
Surely, the woman's impudence was almost beyond belief!
But the King was very courteous.
"The Decree of Restoration applies only to the Grand Duke Armand," he
said.
"And I remain, simply, Mrs. Armand Dalberg?" she asked.
Frederick smiled.
"You remain exactly what you were before the Decree was signed," he
said.
She turned to me.
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