"I mean innocent."
"Oh!"
Gilbert uttered the ejaculation in a tone expressive rather of
bewilderment than of surprise. He did not in the least understand what
she meant. Seeing that she did not enlighten him, and feeling
uncomfortable, it was quite natural that he should attack her on
different ground.
"You have changed," he said coldly. "I suppose you have grown up, as
you call it."
For a moment Beatrix said nothing, but her lips trembled as if she were
trying not to smile at what he said; and suddenly she could resist no
longer, and laughed at him outright.
"I cannot say the same for you," she retorted presently; "you are
certainly not grown up yet!"
This pleased Gilbert even less than what she had said before, for he
was still young enough to wish himself older. He therefore answered her
laughter with a look of grave contempt. She was woman enough to see
that the time had come to take him by surprise, with a view of
ascertaining the truth.
"How long has the Queen loved you?" she asked suddenly; and while she
seemed not to be looking at him, she was watching every line in his
face, and would have noticed the movement of an eyelash if there had
been nothing else to note. But Gilbert was really surprised.
"The Queen! The Queen love me! Are you beside yourself?"
"Not at all," answered the young girl, quietly; "it is the talk of the
court. They say that the King is jealous of you."
She laughed--gayly, this time, for she saw that he really had had no
idea of the truth.
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