see here," he said with
sudden energy. "I swear to God it's all right. I'm willing to let
by-gones be by-gones and take a new deal. You shall come back as if
nothing had happened, and take your old place as before. I don't mind
doing the square thing, all round. If that's what you mean, if that's
all that stands in the way, why, look upon the thing as settled. There,
Tita, old girl, come."

Careless or oblivious of her stony silence and starting eyes, he
attempted to take her hand. But she disengaged herself with a quick
movement, drew back, and suddenly crouched like a wild animal about to
spring. Curson folded his arms as she leaped to her feet; the little
dagger she had drawn from her garter flashed menacingly in the air, but
she stopped.

The man before her remained erect, impassive, and silent; the great
trees around and beyond her remained erect, impassive, and silent; there
was no sound in the dim aisles but the quick panting of her mad passion,
no movement in the calm, motionless shadow but the trembling of her
uplifted steel. Her arm bent and slowly sank, her fingers relaxed, the
knife fell from her hand.

"That'th quite enough for a thow," he said, with a return to his former
cynical ease and a perceptible tone of relief in his voice. "It'th the
thame old Theretha. Well, then, if you won't go with me, go without me;
take the led horthe and cut away. Dick Athley and Petereth will follow
you over the county line. If you want thome money, there it ith." He
took a buckskin purse from his pocket. "If you won't take it from me"--he
hesitated as she made no reply--"Athley'th flush and ready to lend you
thome."

She had not seemed to hear him, but had stooped in some embarrassment,
picked up the knife and hastily hid it, then with averted face and
nervous fingers was beginning to tear strips of loose bark from the
nearest trunk.

"Well, what do you thay?"

"I don't want any money, and I shall stay here." She hesitated, looked
around her, and then added, with an effort, "I suppose you meant well.
Be it so! Let by-gones be by-gones. You said just now, 'It's the same
old Teresa.' So she is, and seeing she's the same she's better here than
anywhere else."

There was enough bitterness in her tone to call for Curson's
half-perfunctory sympathy.

"That be d--d," he responded quickly. "Jutht thay you'll come, Tita,
and--"

She stopped his half-spoken sentence with a negative gesture. "You don't
understand. I sh