He faced Tess again with a gesture of apology.

"You'll pardon me, ma'am, but duty's duty."

Tess was enjoying the play immensely, shrewdly suspecting Tom Tripe
of more complaisance than he chose to admit to his prisoner.

"You must treat my house as a sanctuary, Tom. Outside the garden
wall orders I suppose are orders. Inside it I insist all guests are free
and equal."

The Princess Yasmini slapped her boot with a little riding-switch and
laughed delightedly.

"There, Tom Tripe! Now what will you do?"

"I'll have to use persuasion, miss! Tell me how you got into your own
palace unseen and out again with a horse without a soul knowing?"

"'Come into my net and get caught,' said the hunter; but the leopard is
still at large. 'Teach me your tracks,' begged the hunter; but the leopard
answered, 'Learn them!' '

"Hell's bells!"

Tom Tripe scratched his head and wiped sweat from his collar. The
princess was gazing away into the distance, not apparently inclined to
take the soldier seriously. Tess, wondering what her guest found
interesting on the horizon all of a sudden, herself picked out the third
beggar's shabby outline on the same high rock from which Yasmini