ps there's a tribunal.... I've done bad things, but
not that.... I'm glad you came ... in time. And you thought that of me--O
God!"

Jim recoiled with blanched cheeks before these words, ringing as they did
with truth. He tried to get a clear grip of the position, but his brain
reeled under the force of this astounding denouement. D'Arcy was speaking
again--so faint he could scarcely hear.

"And to think that of--her! Man--man--and you look as though you love
her.... She's all that's good and pure, though her pride is--great, too
great,... and she's willful and unrelenting.... Go back and put this
right. Don't let this terrible unjust suspicion remain...."

"But--she told me that," gasped Jim.

Despite the pain occasioned by the movement, D'Arcy dragged himself higher
on the pillow and gazed at Jim in horror.

"She--she told you--that!"

Jim wished he had bitten his tongue off before those words had been
uttered. Was ever physical blow more cruel than this--to inflict insult
and guilt of so despicable a nature upon a perfectly innocent man! He
snatched at the nerveless hand on the bed and held it.

"I'm sorry," he groaned. "I didn't know--I didn't think she would frame up
a dirty lie like that."

D'Arcy suddenly smiled wistfully.

"And where is she now?"

"I sent her away."

"You sent her--well, perhaps it was best," he said. "You've got to forget
that story. Circumstances excuse many things."

"They don't excuse that."

"I think they do.... All the blame is not with her. That she should give
utterance to such a lie proves to what extremes she was forced. She tried
by every other means to escape--and failed. You held her, not by love, but
by brute strength."

"You don't understand," retorted Jim. "I bought her. She knows that. I
didn't know I was buying her, but she knew all the time----"

"You--can't buy a woman's soul."

"What's that got to do with it?"

"Everything. It was her soul that writhed under that jailership----"

"Yep--and her soul that told that damned lie."

D'Arcy shook his head.

"You tried to win by the superiority of your physical strength. Is that
moral? Is it justifiable? She had no other way to fight but by subtlety
and falsehood. Both ways are equally detestable. Therefore it is not for
you to condemn.... Tell Lonagon ... I'm going--going...."

Jim ran outside and brought in Lonagon and Shanks. Before they could reach
the bed the soul of D'Arcy had flown from his pain-rid