he cried.

"What you see," said Ambrose coldly.

"Get out!" she cried. "All of you! I order it!"

The men cringed under her angry glances, and their eyes bolted. Only
the sight of Ambrose standing firm, kept them in their places. Colina
turned on Ambrose.

"You thief!" she cried with ringing scorn.

Ambrose coldly faced her out. Somehow he found it was his turn to
smile. As a matter of fact he had suffered so much at her hands that
he had become callous and strong enough to resist her.

Indeed there was a kind of bitter sweetness in this moment. She, who
had humiliated him so many times was now powerless before him, let her
rage as she might. He was only human.

Seeing the cold smile Colina felt as if the ground was suddenly cut
from under her. Her cheeks paled, and the imperious blaze of her eyes
was slowly dimmed.

When the bolt of passion is launched without effect, a horrible
blankness faces the passionate one. The men seeing Colina falter
breathed more freely. They were frankly terrified of her.

Colina fought on though her forces were in confusion. "Have you
anything to say for yourself?" she demanded of Ambrose. "What are you
doing on my father's property?"

"I have nothing to say," said Ambrose. "You know the situation as well
as I."

Once more their eyes contended. Hers fell. She turned away from him.
When she came back it was with an altered air. "May I speak to you
alone?" she asked in low tones.

"Please say it here," said Ambrose. "They cannot hear."

"My father--" she murmured with a deprecating air, "I am afraid this
will kill him. I have locked him in his room. I don't know what he
will do. Can't you stop until to-morrow?"

"If you will pledge yourself for him to finish grinding my grain
to-morrow," said Ambrose.

"How can I pledge him?" she said pettishly. "I am not his master."

"Then we must grind on."

She was silent for a moment, looking on the ground. When she raised
her eyes the look in them sent all the blood flying from his heart.
"Ambrose!" she murmured on the deep note he remembered so well. "Have
you forgotten?"

He stared at her in a kind of horror.

"How can you be so hard to me?" she murmured.

She overdid it. Behind the intoxicating, soft appeal of her eyes, he
perceived a dangerous glitter, and steeled himself.

"Come outside a moment," she whispered, turning up her face a little.

The unregenerate man in him leaped to accept what she