'That's but another lie!' he exclaimed furiously. 'O basest of women
born!'
A hand was upon his dagger. Petronilla rose and stepped back a
little, glancing towards one of the drawn curtains.
'You have threatened my life,' she said in an undertone. 'Remember
that it is you who are in my power. If I raise my voice on one word,
the next moment you will lie pierced by a score of weapons. Moderate
your insults: my temper is not meek.'
Basil thought for a moment with painful intentness.
'Speak plainly,' he said at length. 'You would have me suspect--?
I am ashamed to utter the name.'
'Keep it to yourself and muse upon it.'
'You dare bid me think that he, my dearest and most loyal friend,
has infamously betrayed me? Now I know indeed that you have lied to
me in every word, for this is the last audacity of baseness. You
hope to poison my soul against him, and so, whilst guarding
yourself, bring more evil upon those you hate. But you have
overreached yourself. Only cunning driven desperate could have
devised this trick. Listen to me again, before it is too late.
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