."

"You'll not if I can help it," answered Frederick. "Come out of here, I
say!"

By main strength he was drawing his wife toward the door. Tess was
staring at them as if they were creatures from another world.

"I'm sorry," Frederick said directly over Madelene's head to her.
"Dreadfully sorry."

"Sorry!" shrieked Madelene. "Sorry for such a woman! Look what you've
done to me, both of you!" She wrenched herself from the strong fingers
and flung back to the squatter girl. "I want to know if my husband is
the father--"

Frederick had hold of her once more. The anger in his white face was
terrible to see.

"If you speak to her again," he said murderously, "I'll--I'll--"

"I suppose you'll kill me," shrilled his wife. "Well, go ahead! The only
way you'll ever get her will be when I'm dead!" Then she thrust her
white working face close to his. "If she won't speak, will you? You're
my husband, and I find you here with this--this--.... Are you the father
of her baby?"

"No," said Frederick, dropping his eyes. "No, of course not!"

Tessibel bent her head to receive the last brutal stroke he had to give.
She moved but uttered no sound.

"Well, do you love her then?" demanded Madelene.

And Frederick, not daring to look at Tess, repeated, "No, of course
not.... Don't be a fool!"

"Then, what do you want of him, girl?" Madelene cried hoarsely to
Tessibel. "You've heard what he said."

Tess thought she was going to die. All the awful hurt which had lain
dormant for so many weeks rose up with ten thousand times the vigor. It
was as if Heaven had belched out flames to consume her, and she knew
there was no escape from this thing that had come upon her. Frederick
had not only repudiated his love for her, but his baby too. She threw
back her curls with a proud gesture.

"I don't want 'im," she said straight to Madelene. "Take 'im away an'
don't let 'im come here any more."

When Madelene started to speak again, Frederick shoved her from the hut
into the gray day. He turned once and looked at Tess. She was just where
he'd left her, her eyes brimmed with sorrow and her teeth locked tightly
together.

Then the door banged shut and she was alone in the kitchen. A little
later she heard as in a dream the sound of horses' hoofs retreating far
up the lane. Then all the powers of darkness closed in about her, and
malicious elfin voices chattered her shame in her ears. Frederick had
repudiated her and his child and had g