to his reproaches. Then the
stones fell, and pinned him to the ledge; but not one touched me, and
I hauled myself up, broken leg and all, till I crawled on to the big
rock that rested on his body. You found me there, eh?"

"Yes."

"Well, I wish you luck. I meant to snatch Helen from you, even at the
twelfth hour; but Stampa over-reached me. That mock marriage of his
contriving had more power than I counted on. Curse it! how these
crushed bones are beginning to ache! Give me some brandy. I want to
drink Helen's health, and my own, and yours, damn you! See that you
treat her well and make her life happy! She is worthy of all your
love, and I suppose she loves you, whereas I might have striven for
years to win her affection and then failed in the end."

Late that night Spencer arrived at the Maloja. Helen was waiting for
him, as he had telephoned the hour he might be expected. Rumor had
brought the news of Stampa's death and Bower's accident. Then she
understood why her lover had sent her away so quickly. She was
troubled all day, blaming herself as the unconscious cause of so much
misery. Spencer saw that the full truth alone would dispel her self
reproach. So he told her everything, even showing her Millicent's
letter and a telegram received from Mackenzie, in which the editor of
"The Firefly" put it quite plainly that the proprietor of the magazine
had forbidden him (Mackenzie) from taking any steps whatever with
regard to Helen's return to England without definite instructions.

The more she learned of the amazing web of intrigue and
misunderstanding that surrounded her movements since she left the
Embankment Hotel after that memorable luncheon with Millicent, the
less inclined she was to deny Spencer's theory that Fate had brought
them together.

"I cleared out of Colorado as though a tarantula had bitten me," he
said. "I traveled five thousand miles to London, saw you, fooled
myself into the belief that I was intended by Providence to play the
part of a heavy uncle, and kept up that notion during another
thousand-mile trip to this delightful country. Then you began to reach
out for me, Helen----"

"I did nothing of the kind!" she protested.

"Oh, yes, you did,--just grabbed me good and hard,--and when Bower
showed up I stacked my chips on the table and sat down to the game.
What am I talking about? I don't know. Kiss me good night, sweetheart,
and don't you give a red cent who's looking. For once in a way, I