input: CHAPTER VII.

WHAT PASSED UNDER THE PINE AND WHAT REMAINED THERE.

Ramirez was not as happy in his revenge as he had anticipated. He had, in an instant of impulsive rage, fired his mine prematurely, and, as he feared, impotently. Gabriel had not visibly sickened, faded, nor fallen blighted under the exposure of his wife's deceit. It was even doubtful, as far as Ramirez could judge from his quiet reception of the revelation, whether he would even call that wife to account for it. Again, Ramirez was unpleasantly conscious that this exposure had lost some of its dignity and importance by being wrested from his as a _confession_ made under pressure or duress. Worse than all, he had lost the opportunity of previously threatening Mrs. Conroy with the disclosure, and the delicious spectacle of her discomfiture. In point of fact his revenge had been limited to the cautious cowardice of the anonymous letter-writer, who, stabbing in the dark, enjoys neither the contemplation of the agonies of his victim, nor the assertion of his own individual power.

To this torturing reflection a terrible suspicion of the Spanish translator, Perkins, was superadded. For Gabriel, Ramirez had only that contempt which every lawless lover has for the lawful husband of his mistress, while for Perkins he had that agonising doubt which every lawless lover has for every other man but the husband. In making this exposure had he not precipitated a catastrophe as fatal to himself as to the husband? Might they not both drive this woman into the arms of another man? Ramirez paced the little bedroom of the Grand Conroy Hotel, a prey to that bastard remorse of all natures like his own,--the overwhelming consciousness of opportunities for villany misspent. 1. What is Ramirez
2. What is Gabriel's role?
3. What did Ramirez do to his mistress?
4. Did it go as planned?
5. Was it clear if Gabriel would confront his wife?
6. What did Ramirez feel the exposure to the secret presented itself as?
7. What opportunity was lost?
8. Where was Ramirez in the scene?
9. Where was he pacing?
10. Did he feel remorseful? Return numbered answers in your output.

output: 1. lawless lover
2. the lawful husband of his mistress
3. exposed her deceit
4. No
5. No
6. lost some of its dignity and importance
7. threatening Mrs. Conroy
8. unknown
9. Grand Conroy Hotel
10. Yes

question: CHAPTER XXII. RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE

Black Star and Night, answering to spur, swept swiftly westward along the white, slow-rising, sage-bordered trail. Venters heard a mournful howl from Ring, but Whitie was silent. The blacks settled into their fleet, long-striding gallop. The wind sweetly fanned Venters's hot face. From the summit of the first low-swelling ridge he looked back. Lassiter waved his hand; Jane waved her scarf. Venters replied by standing in his stirrups and holding high his sombrero. Then the dip of the ridge hid them. From the height of the next he turned once more. Lassiter, Jane, and the burros had disappeared. They had gone down into the Pass. Venters felt a sensation of irreparable loss.

"Bern--look!" called Bess, pointing up the long slope.

A small, dark, moving dot split the line where purple sage met blue sky. That dot was a band of riders.

"Pull the black, Bess."

They slowed from gallop to canter, then to trot. The fresh and eager horses did not like the check.

"Bern, Black Star has great eyesight."

"I wonder if they're Tull's riders. They might be rustlers. But it's all the same to us."

The black dot grew to a dark patch moving under low dust clouds. It grew all the time, though very slowly. There were long periods when it was in plain sight, and intervals when it dropped behind the sage. The blacks trotted for half an hour, for another half-hour, and still the moving patch appeared to stay on the horizon line. Gradually, however, as time passed, it began to enlarge, to creep down the slope, to encroach upon the intervening distance.
1. Who were waving at each other?
2. What did Jane wave?
3. What did Lassiter wave?
4. What did Venters do?
5. And what did he hold up?
6. Who was with Venters?
7. What was the name of the horses?
8. What are their specific names?
9. Who saw something in the distance?
10. What did she see?
11. What did the dot turn out to be?
12. At this point could they still see Jane?
13. Where had they gone?
14. How did Venters fill about that?
****
answer: 1. Lassiter and jane
2. her scarf
3. his hand;
4. stood in his stirrups
5. his sombrero
6. Lassiter, Jane, and the burros
7. The blacks
8. Black Star and Night
9. bess
10. A small, dark, moving dot
11. a band of riders.
12. No
13. into the Pass.
14. felt irreparable loss.

Question: CHAPTER XII

Once more the men and women of Theos thronged the streets of their time-worn capital. A thousand torches flared in the open space before the palace. Lanterns and flags waved from all the principal houses and public buildings. Only the great Reist mansion was silent and gloomy, and many questioning eyes were turned towards it.

"It was the Duke himself who has brought Ughtred of Tyrnaus here," muttered one. "Yet his house is dark and empty, and no man has seen him."

"There is something strange about it," said another, "and I like not the wolf Domiloff at the shoulder of a Tyrnaus."

"Please God, the son may not be like the father!"

"Let us see him," cried another. "Come--shout!"

So the air shook with the roar of voices, and servants in the blue Tyrnaus livery came out upon the balcony of the brilliantly-lit palace and spread a carpet. But the man whom they longed to see lingered.

Domiloff argued with him in vain. He was unaccountably obstinate.

"It is the Duke of Reist who should stand by my side when first I speak to my people," he declared, coolly. "It is he who brought me from England, not you. He must be my sponsor. If he is not here I will wait."

Domiloff was naturally furious. He had been at considerable pains to insure the absence of Reist from the capital on this occasion, and his inopportune return would amount to a disaster. On the other hand, the populace were fast working themselves up into a state of frenzy. Let this man show himself, and the success of his coup was assured. It was unpardonable hesitation. He trembled with rage. In the King's palace, in his own chamber, he had lost for the moment his hold upon this man. It was the one weak spot in his carefully thought-out scheme. It was the one contingency against which he was comparatively helpless. 1. What was the name of the city?
2. Were the streets empty?
3. What kind of city was it?
4. Was it a relatively newly-founded city?
5. What was the primary source of illumination?
6. What was everyone looking at?
7. Did that building show signs of activity?
8. Who lived there?
9. Who did he bring?
10. Had anyone sighted the noble?
11. Who was characterized as animal-like?
12. What kind of beast?
13. Who emerged from the palace?
14. What were they wearing?
15. Where were they standing?
16. What did they do?
17. Who was very angry?
18. Who had he ensured would be absent?
19. What project did he want to succeed?
20. Where had Ughtred been brought from? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers:
1. Theos
2. No.
3. The capital.
4. No.
5. torches
6. the great Reist mansion
7. No
8. the Duke
9. Ughtred of Tyrnaus
10. No.
11. Domiloff
12. a wolf
13. servants
14. the blue Tyrnaus livery
15. the balcony
16. spread a carpet
17. Domiloff
18. Reist
19. his coup
20. England