,
perhaps because of all women she was most worthy to be loved--she looked
kindly upon the poorer man. The other had all that fortune could give him
save what he most desired, and being older he waited patiently, trusting
her heart would turn toward him, and when at last he learned the truth he
had not courage to give her up, but waited still, hoping, he hardly knew
for what, against hope. Then circumstances held them closer together in a
bond that even for her sake he dare not break, until at last the knot was
cut. Lorimer, we fought it out fairly, you and I. Now you have won, and I
am dying. I only ask you to be good to her."

I turned my head aside, for I could say nothing appropriate, and he
added:

"I should like you to keep those rifles, and when some day Grace receives
the reversion she will find it but little. We made some heavy losses in
joint ventures, her father and I--you will tell her to remember that. I
think now all is settled. God bless her!"

He slept or lay quite still for some time, and once more, knowing what I
knew, I wondered at the greatness of his nature, for it was evident that,
realizing that his love was hopeless, he had stood by her father only to
serve her. Then he said feebly:

"Lift me a little, Lorimer, so that I can see the moonrise on the snow.
Before another nightfall I shall have followed your partner on the unknown
trail."

I raised him on the pillows, and then sat by the window, from
which--because the lamp that tired his eyes had been turned very low--I
could see the shimmer of stars on the dark breast of the inlet, which was
wrapped in shadow, and a broad band of silver radiance grow wider across
the heights of snow, until Grace came in softly with more blossoms from
sunny Mexico.

Ormond saw her, and he had probably forgotten me, for there was a great
longing in his voice as he said huskily: "Will you kiss me, Grace, for
the first and last time since we were innocent children?"

She bent over him a compassionate figure, etherealized by the pale light
that touched her through the eastern window, and I went out and waited on
the stairway until, after the surgeon went in, she passed me, sobbing, and
stilled an expression of sympathy with a lifted hand. That was the last I
saw of Geoffrey Ormond in this life, for when next I looked at him he lay
very white and still with the seal of death upon him, and I knew that a
very clean and chivalrous soul had gone to its resting-place