if I can. You must know I would give my life
to serve you. My life, do I say? I would give my soul. It was in
ignorance of what would happen that I visited Samoa. The French Consul is
an old school friend. He told me everything--I mean, the news from New
Caledonia. He has photographs of Maxime. I tried to get them away,
without his knowledge, but I didn't succeed. You must not be embroiled
further in this terrible affair. The best thing is for you to give the
poor fellow up, and I swear to you that, for your sake, and for his--even
though I believe him guilty--I will find some means of saving him. The
doctor has been promised all sorts of favours if he will state that there
is a suspicious case of illness on board; a stateroom door locked against
him will be enough to raise suspicions that you are hiding a case of
plague. You can do nothing. Unless you give Maxime up, and it is seen
that you have a clean bill of health, you will be detained indefinitely
in quarantine. Further advices will arrive from New Caledonia,
representations will be made to the authorities here, it will become an
international question, and you will be forced to surrender the escaped
prisoner. Maxime will then be lost, for I should be unable to help him,
if things had gone so far--the hue and cry would be too furious. De Letz
is determined to thwart you, but he doesn't know that I am a secret ally
of your plans. Trust to me. Give Maxime up while there is time, and you
will never repent it."

"You make brave promises, Marchese," returned Virginia. "But you do not
name your price. I suppose, like other men, you have a price for what you
say you can do?"

"I make no conditions," answered Loria. "It hurts me that you could think
of it. All I want is a little gratitude from you--ah, no, I cannot say
that is all I _want_. Only, it is all I ask. What I want more than
anything on earth, more than anything which even Heaven could give, is
the treasure of your love. For that, I could fight my way, and Maxime
Dalahaide's way, through the place of lost spirits, and laugh at the
tortures of Hades. I dare not ask for that treasure now. Give me what you
can, that is all, and my life's blood is yours, for I worship you,
Virginia. I dream of you night and day. If I cannot have you for my wife,
I shall go to my grave unmarried, and the sooner the better. There's
nothing but you in the world; no other woman but you; there never has
been for me, and never will be."