o the North Woods ten years ago
that he might be here when she came; her destiny had brought her to
MacLeod's Settlement from New Orleans to him. Because the greatest of
all laws lies hidden under a clutter of little things that law is none
the less great or real. He had grown to see as a miraculous
manifestation of this law even the fact that he and Ygerne Bellaire had
been born in the same generation. . . . Stern-minded men of science,
whose creed is to doubt all things until they are proven in such wise
as an objective brain can accept them as incontrovertible, see no
miracle in the fact that a certain female moth, left alone upon a
mountain top, will draw to herself a male mate from mountainous miles
away. Even in the insect world there is a silent call which is a voice
of destiny. Omnipotence is not above concerning itself with the
embrace of two tiny, fragile-winged creatures in the darkness of the
solitudes. Surely there is an urge and yearning of human souls which
knows not distance and obstacles, which brings together man and his
mate.

These were strange, new thoughts to David Drennen and yet they came
naturally as an old knowledge set aside, half forgotten, ultimately
vividly recalled. He loved Ygerne; she must love him. Therein alone
could lie the explanation of his presence here and of hers. When he
had quitted his dugout this evening there had been more than
determination in his heart; there had been confidence.

And now? He wandered aimlessly. Determination and confidence had both
left him. Garcia had sung to her and the singing had pleased. Garcia
had made love to her in his song and she had thrown open her window.
Garcia had kissed her hand and she had given him a flower.

Deep in his troubled thoughts Drennen had stopped a third time. He was
in thick shadow and saw two figures that had followed him. He made out
that here were Lemarc and Sefton as they came on, cautiously and
silently. This thing was to be expected; these men were plucking with
greedy fingers as fortune's robe and for such as they he was one to be
watched. He saw them pass on along the trail; his still form in the
shadows was blotted out from them by the tall boles of the trees. His
eyes followed them a moment, then lost them. Already he had forgotten
them. His thoughts went back to Ygerne Bellaire, to the scene at the
window.

The moon pushed a great golden disc up over the ridge. It was at the
full and made g