ou will only make me
miserable--or else angry."

"Why have you changed so towards me?" he asked quickly.

"I have not changed in any way towards you," she answered emphatically
with a slight accent of anger in her tones. "Please do not say anything
more. Let us go in," and she rose.

"Kate," he said pleadingly, and he placed his hand on her arm gently,
"just listen to me for a minute. I love you. I will do all that a man
can to make you happy. I have left the Native Police, and I am now
fairly well off----"

She made a swift gesture. "For your sake I am pleased--very
pleased--that you have left the Police, and have made money. But,
Randolph," and though she was frightened at the suppressed vehemence in
his voice, and the almost fierce look of his dark, deep-set eyes,
she smiled as she put her hand on his, "please don't think
that--that--money, I mean--would make any difference to me. Come, let us
go back to father. I am sure he wants you to play chess."

Aulain's face terrified her. He had lost control of himself, and his
hand closed around her wrist.

"So you throw me over?" he said in almost savage tones.

"'Throw you over'! How dare you say such a thing to me!" and she tore
her hand away from him, and faced him with blazing anger in her eyes.
"What have I ever said or done that you can speak to me like this?"

"I know who has come between us----"

"Between us! What do you mean?" she cried scornfully. "What has there
ever been 'between us'? And who do you mean?"

Aulian's face whitened with the anger of jealousy, and he gave full vent
to the unreasoning passion which had now overmastered him.

"I mean Gerrard."

"Mr Gerrard--your friend?" she said slowly.

"Yes," he replied with a sneer; "my dear friend Gerrard--the man who,
professing to be my friend, has steadily undermined me in your regard
ever since he first saw you."

"Your mind is wandering, I fear," and the icy contempt with which she
spoke brought his anger to white heat. "I shall stay here, no longer, Mr
Aulain," and she stepped over to the tree, and took up her gun. Aulain
was beside her in an instant.

"Do you think I do not know?" he said thickly, and the gleam of passion
in his eyes struck terror to her heart, "It was he who made you leave
Fraser's Gully to come here, so as to be near him. At first I thought
that it was that Scotch hound of a parson--but now I know better."

Kate flushed deeply, then she whitened with anger. "Oh, I wi