hand in Yanna's.

"Pardon, madame," answered Duval in a passion, "Mrs. Van Hoosen
chooses to remain with me."

"Rose, dear Rose! think of your little daughter. Turn back, dear one,
for God's sake! turn back! Have you forgotten your mother and father,
your brother and your loving husband? Rose, come with me. Fly for your
life! Fly for your soul! Come! Come! There is no time to lose."

Duval was urging the foolish, distracted woman at the same time,
pleading his misery, and contrasting her dull, unhappy life in
Woodsome village with all the joys he promised her in Cuba. And Rose
was weeping bitterly. It was also evident that she had been taking
wine, and very likely some drug in it. For her mind was dull, and her
conscience was dull, and she seemed too inert to decide so momentous a
question herself.

But as they stood thus together, and Rose was weakly clinging to
Yanna's arm, Antony came towards them, swift and stern as Fate. He
put his hand on Rose's shoulder, and turned the dear wretched sinner
round till she faced him. He had no need to speak. She looked
piteously at Yanna, and said, "Tell Antony why I came--there is
nothing wrong." And then she laughed so foolishly that Adriana thought
the laugh far more pitiful than tears.

"Mr. Duval is going to Cuba," said Adriana to her brother. "We will
now say 'farewell' to him."

"Mrs. Van Hoosen is going to Cuba also," said Duval, with a mocking
air. "Come, Rose, my love!"

Then in his throat Antony gave him the lie, and with one back-handed
blow, struck him in the mouth and sent him reeling backward like a
drunken man.

Ere he could recover himself, Rose and Antony, followed by Adriana,
were going down the gangway, and a sailor was ringing a bell, and
bidding all not for the voyage to make for the shore. Duval did not
make for the shore. He waited until Antony was putting Rose and
Adriana in the carriage ere he shouted after Antony scandalous
epithets, which he did not deign to notice. But they went like fire
into his ears; and he looked into Rose's apathetic face, sullen and
angry, with a sense of such shame and misery as he had never before
experienced.

Silently they drove to Adriana's house, and then Antony kissed her,
and said with some difficulty, "I can never thank you enough, Yanna,"
and Yanna, smiling sadly in reply, turned to Rose and said, "Good-bye,
Rose. I shall see you at Woodsome, I hope, soon."

Rose did not respond in any way. Her eyes were c