That one I'll follow." We none of us spoke, but waited till he should be pleased to continue.
"Of the queen's letter I need say nothing and will say nothing," he pursued.

"But I will tell them that I'm not the king, but Rudolf Rassendyll, and that I played the king only in order to serve the queen and punish Rupert of Hentzau.

That will serve, and it will cut this net of Sapt's from about my limbs." He spoke firmly and coldly; so that when I looked at him I was amazed to see how his lips twitched and that his forehead was moist with sweat.
Then I understood what a sudden, swift, and fearful struggle he had suffered, and how the great temptation had wrung and tortured him before he, victorious, had set the thing behind him.

I went to him and clasped his hand: this action of mine seemed to soften him.
"Sapt, Sapt," he said, "you almost made a rogue of me." Sapt did not respond to his gentler mood.

He had been pacing angrily up and down the room.