There was another short silence. The girl looked at me with a curious
intentness as though mentally appraising me--trying to establish in her
mind any value I might represent to her--if any.
"It's like an innocent bystander being hit by a bullet in a revolution,"
she murmured: "it's a pity: but it is unavoidable, sometimes."
"I represent this theoretical and innocent bystander?"
"I'm afraid you do, Mr. O'Ryan; the chances are that you'll get hurt."
A perfectly inexplicable but agreeable tingling sensation began to
invade me, amounting almost to exhilaration. Was it the Irish in me,
subtly stirred, by the chance of a riot? Was it a possible opportunity
to heave a brick, impartially and with Milesian enthusiasm?
"Thusis," said I, "there is only one question I must ask you to answer."
"I know what it is."
"What?"
"You are going to remind me that, to-day, the whole world is divided
into two parts; that the greatest war of all times is being waged
between the forces of light and of darkness. And you are going to ask
me where I stand."
"I am."
The girl rose; so did I. Then she stepped forward, took my right hand
and rested her other upon it.
"I stand for light, for the world's freedom, for the liberties of the
weaker, for the self-determination of all peoples. I stand for their
right to the pursuit of happiness. I stand for the downfall of all
tyranny--the tyranny of the mob as well as the tyranny of all autocrats.
That is where I stand, Mr. O'Ryan.... Where do you stand?"
"Beside you."
She dropped my hand with an excited little laugh:
"I was certain of that. In Berne I learned all about you. I took no
chances in coming here. I took none in being frank with you." She
began to laugh again, mischievously: "Perhaps I took chances in being
impertinent to you. There is a dreadful and common vein of frivolity in
me. I'm a little reckless, too. I adore absurd situations, and the
circumstances--when you unwillingly discovered that I was
attractive--appealed to me irresistibly. And I am afraid I was silly
enough--common enough--malicious enough to thoroughly enjoy it.... But,"
she added naively, "you gave me rather a good scare when you threatened
to kiss me."
"I'm glad of that," said I with satisfaction.
"Of course," she remarked, "that would have been the climax of
absurdity."
"Would it?"
"Certainly."
"Why?"
"Fancy such a nice young man kissing his cook in the cellar."
"That isn't what you meant."
"Isn't it?" she asked airily.
"No."
"What did I mean then, Mr. O'Ryan?"
"I don't know," said I thoughtfully.
She gave me one of her smiling but searching looks, in which there
seemed a hint of apprehension. Then, apparently satisfied by her
scrutiny, she favored me with a bewitching smile in which I thought to
detect a slight trace of relief.
"You will keep me, then?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Thank you!"
She stretched out her beautiful hand impulsively: I took it.
"Thanks--and good-by," she said a trifle gravely, Then, with a shadow of
the smile still lingering: "Good-by: because, from now on, it is to be
master and servant. We must both remember that."