"
Basil smiled contemptuously. "Of what do you charge me?" he said.
"I shall charge you with stealing my watch and ring," was the reply.
"Knowing I am innocent?"
"The alternative lies before you. Confess, as I have said, and Lady
Amelie suffers; deny, and you go to prison for stealing."
It seemed to him far easier. "I will go to prison," he thought, "I can
give a false name; no one will know me. There will be no fuss, no stir,
nothing known, and she, my queen, will be saved."
Of course there was no common sense in such a proceeding, nothing but
enthusiasm and romance. He certainly had not calculated upon the fact
being known. He had really believed the false name would shield him. He
found means through a heavy bribe to send one word to Lady Amelie; it
was merely the word, "Destroyed.--B.C." But it gave the queen of
coquettes a sense of security she had not enjoyed for long. While Basil
still lay in prison, Count Jules sought her.
"You have baffled me, my lady," he said.
"Yes," was the calm reply, "I have checkmated you, count. You will
extort no more money from me, nor will you threaten me again."
"Well," said the count, "I confess myself beaten, and I am not a good
man, either, my Lady Amelie, but sooner than have blighted that young
man's life, as you have done, I would have suffered anything."
"My dear count," said Lady Amelie, philosophically, "some men seem, by
fate and by nature, destined to be used as a cat's-paw.
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