"Yes," said Gloria, and was gone in a flash, turning, running up and out
of sight.

He stood looking after her, tapping and tapping at his cigarette-case.

_Chapter XIII_

To Gloria the sluggish moments were fraught with despondency or
pulsating terror. All arrangements were made; she was powerless, in a
trap; a justice was coming; she was going to marry Gratton. She lay on
her bed with her door bolted and wept bitterly, moaning over and over:
"Oh, I wish I were dead!" She heard Gratton stirring restlessly
downstairs. She herself grew restless; she sprang up, tiptoed to her
door, and slipped out as silent as a shadow. She went into the little
room where the telephone was and through it to the sun-porch. For a long
time she stood looking out across the mountains, her hand pressed to
lips which trembled. She thought of her mother who, coming as fast as
she could, no doubt by automobile, since she would not have the patience
for trains, would not arrive before to-morrow morning. A night
here--alone, worse than alone----

But great as was the emotional tension, lusty and now wearied youth must
be served. She had danced and ridden all through the night; she had not
had over an hour or so of broken sleep; she had been going all day. She
dropped to sleep on the swing-couch on the porch. It was so very silent
all about her; the shadows were creeping, creeping among the pines.

She awoke with a start. It was quite dark; the first stars burned with
steadily growing brilliancy. Some one was standing above her, looking
down at her. She could see only the vague outline----

"Gloria----"

A little cry of fear broke from her.

"Gloria," pleaded Gratton. "Don't you know I wouldn't----?"

"I'll be down in a minute," she told him, drawing as far away as she
could, speaking with nervous haste. "Go down, please. Wait for me."

"The justice is downstairs," he said, his own voice agitated despite his
effort for mastery. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, yes! In a minute I'll be down. Go. Please go."

He hesitated; she could have screamed at him. But presently he began
withdrawing. Slowly, hideously slowly----

"When you are ready. And--he has a long ride back, Gloria. We should not
keep him waiting."

She watched until he had gone. Then she crouched, staring with wide,
unseeing eyes into the outside dark. The man would go right away; she
would not have even him to mitigate the horrible condition of aloneness
with Gratton.