“This is stifling,” said Odo impatiently.  “Would your Highness not be better in the open?”

“No, no,” she persisted.  “Unbar the shutters and we shall have air enough.  I love a deserted house:  I have always fancied that if one came in noiselessly enough one might catch the ghosts of the people who used to live in it.”

He obeyed in silence, and the green-filtered forest noon filled the room with a quiver of light.  A chill stole upon Odo as he looked at the dust-shrouded furniture, the painted harpsichord with green mould creeping over its keyboard, the consoles set with empty wine flagons and goblets of Venice glass.  The place was like the abandoned corpse of pleasure.

But Maria Clementina laughed and clapped her hands.  “This is enchanting,” she cried, throwing herself into an arm-chair of threadbare damask, “and I shall rest here while you refresh me with a glass of Lacrima Christi from one of those dusty flagons.  They are empty, you say?  Never mind, for I have a flask of cordial in my saddle-bag.  Fetch it, cousin, and wash these two glasses in the spring, that we may toast all the dead lovers that have drunk out of them.”

When Odo returned with the flask and glasses, she had brushed the dust from a slender table of inlaid wood, and drawn a seat near her own.  She filled the two goblets with cordial and signed to Odo to seat himself beside her.

“Why do you pull such a glum face?” she cried, leaning over to touch his glass before she emptied hers.  “Is it that you are thinking of poor Cerveno?  On my soul, I question if he needs your pity!  He had his hour of folly, and was too gallant a gentleman not to pay the shot.  For my part I would rather drink a poisoned draught than die of thirst.”

The wine was rising in waves of colour over her throat and brow, and setting her glass down she suddenly laid her ungloved hand on Odo’s.

“Cousin,” she said in a low voice, “I could help you if you would let me.”

“Help me?” he said, only half-aware of her words in the warm surprise of her touch.

She drew back, but with a look that seemed to leave her hand in his.

“Are you mad,” she murmured, “or do you despise your danger?”

“Am I in danger?” he echoed smiling.  He was thinking how easily a man might go under in that deep blue gaze of hers.  She dropped her lids as though aware of his thought.

“Why do you concern yourself with politics?” she went on with a new note in her voice.  “Can you find no diversion more suited to your rank and age?  Our court is a dull one, I own—­but surely even here a man might find a better use for his time.”

Odo’s self-possession returned in a flash.  “I am not,” cried he gaily, “in a position to dispute it at this moment;” and he leaned over to recapture her hand.  To his surprise she freed herself with an affronted air.

“Ah,” she said, “you think this a device to provoke a gallant conversation.”  She faced him nobly now.  “Look,” said she, drawing a folded paper from the breast of her riding-coat.  “Have you not frequented these houses?”