God bless you and protect you, dear Lysbeth.

If you think it wrong you are quite right not to marry me, and I know that you will keep my secret.

Good-bye, again," and lifting her hand Dirk kissed it.

Then he stumbled from the room.
As for Lysbeth she cast herself at full length, and in the bitterness of her heart beat her brow upon the boards.
When the front door had shut behind Dirk, but not before, Montalvo emerged from his hiding place and stood over the prostrate Lysbeth.

He tried to adopt his airy and sarcastic manner, but he was shaken by the scene which he had overheard, shaken and somewhat frightened also, for he felt that he had called into being passions of which the force and fruits could not be calculated.
"Bravo! my little actress," he began, then gave it up and added in his natural voice, "you had best rise and see me burn this paper." Lysbeth struggled to her knees and watched him thrust the document between two glowing peats.
"I have fulfilled my promise," he said, "and that evidence is done with, but in case you should think of playing any tricks and not fulfilling yours, please remember that I have fresh evidence infinitely more valuable and convincing, to gain which, indeed, I condescended to a stratagem not quite in keeping with my traditions.