ed. Columbine stood silent, with intent eyes upon the
hunter. Neither of them seemed to understand him well enough to
make reply.

"Love can work marvels in any man," went on Wade. "But love can't change
the fiber of a man's heart. A man is born so an' so. He loves an' hates
an' feels accordin' to the nature. It'd be accordin' to nature for Jack
Belllounds to stay reformed if his love for Collie lasted. An' that's
the point. It can't last. Not in a man of his stripe."

"Why not?" demanded Moore.

"Because Jack's love will never be returned--satisfied. It takes a man
of different caliber to love a woman who'll never love him. Jack's
obsessed by passion now. He'd perform miracles. But that's not possible.
The miracle necessary here would be for him to change his moral force,
his blood, the habits of his mind. That's beyond his power."

Columbine flung out an appealing hand.

"Ben, I could pretend to love him--I might _make_ myself love him, if
that would give him the power."

"Lass, don't delude yourself. You can't do that," replied Wade.

"How do you know what I can do?" she queried, struggling with her
helplessness.

"Why, child, I know you better than you know yourself."

"Wilson, he's right, he's right!" she cried. "That's why it's so
terrible for me now. He knows my very heart. He reads my soul.... I can
_never_ love Jack Belllounds. Nor _ever_ pretend love!"

"Collie, if Ben knows you so well, you ought to listen to him, as you
used to," said Moore, touching her hand with infinite sympathy.

Wade watched them. His pity and affection did not obstruct the ruthless
expression of his opinions or the direction of his intentions.

"Lass, an' you, Wils, listen," he said, with all his gentleness. "It's
bad enough without you makin' it worse. Don't blind yourselves. That's
the hell with so many people in trouble. It's hard to see clear when
you're sufferin' and fightin'. But _I_ see clear.... Now with just a
word I could fetch this new Jack Belllounds back to his Buster
Jack tricks!"

"Oh, Ben! No! No! No!" cried Columbine, in a distress that showed how
his force dominated her.

Moore's face turned as white as ashes.

Wade divined then that Moore was aware of what he himself knew about
Jack Belllounds. And to his love for Moore was added an
infinite respect.

"I won't unless Collie forces me to," he said, significantly.

This was the critical moment, and suddenly Wade answered to it without
restraint. H