"It would have come out right--in the end--if the father had not
returned," said Pierre. "I must hurry, M'sieur, for it hurts me now to
talk. He came first a year ago, and revealed himself to Jeanne. He told
her everything. D'Arcambal was rich; Jeanne and I both had money. He
threatened--we bought him off. We fought to keep the terrible thing
from D'Arcambal. Our money sent him away for a time. Then he returned.
It was news of him I brought up the river to Jeanne--from Churchill. I
offered to kill him--but Jeanne would not listen to that. But the Great
God willed that I should. I killed him to-night--over there!"

A great joy surged above the grief in Philip's heart. He could not
speak, but pressed Pierre's hand harder, and looked into his glistening
eyes.

Pierre's next words broke his silence, and wrung a low cry from his
lips.

"M'sieur, this man Thorpe--Jeanne's father--is the man whom you know as
Lord Fitzhugh Lee."

He coughed violently, and with sudden fear Philip lifted his head so
that it rested against his shoulder. After a moment he lowered it
again. His face was as white as Pierre's after that sudden fit of
coughing.

"I talked with him--alone--on the afternoon of the fight on the rock,"
continued Pierre, huskily. "He was hiding in the woods near Churchill,
and left for Fort o' God on that same day. I did not tell Jeanne--until
after what happened, and I came up with you on the river. Thorpe was
waiting for us at Fort o' God. It was he whom Jeanne saw that night
beside the rock, but I could not tell you the truth--then. He came
often after that--two, three times a week. He tortured Jeanne. My God!
he taunted her, M'sieur, and made her let him kiss her, because he was
her father. We gave him money--all that we could get; we promised him
more, if he would leave--five thousand dollars--in three years. He
agreed to go--after he had finished his work here. And that
work--M'sieur--was to destroy you. He told Jeanne, because it made her
fear him more. He compelled her to come to his cabin. He thought she
was his slave, that she would do anything to be free of him. He told
her of his plot--how he had fooled you in the sham fight with one of
his men--how those men were going to attack you a little later, and how
he had intercepted your letter from Churchill and sent in its place the
other letter which made your camp defenseless. He was not afraid of
her. She was in his power, and he laughed at her horror, and