riends, have we not? Why should you seek to do
that which will make us enemies for ever? I have broken no faith with
you; I never gave you one word of hope. I never loved you; I never could
have loved you! Why should you seek to murder the man whom I do love,
and make me miserable for ever?"

His face was ghastly, but he showed no sign of being moved by her words.

"Bah! You talk as you feel--just now!" he said quickly. "I tell you that
I do not believe one word. If he had not come between us, you would have
been mine some day. Love like mine would have conquered in the end.
Away! away!" he cried, pushing her back in growing excitement, and
stamping on the ground with his feet. "The sight of you only maddens me,
and nerves my arm to kill! Though you beg on your knees for his life,
that man shall die!"

"I shall not beg upon my knees," she answered proudly. "Yet, Leonardo,
for your own sake, for the sake of your own happiness, I bid you once
more consider. You would stain your hand with the blood of the man who
is more to me than you can ever be. Is this what you call love?
Leonardo, beware! I am not a woman to be lightly robbed of what is dear
to me. Put up your sword, or you will repent it to your dying day."

Her voice rang out clear and threatening upon the morning stillness, and
her eyes were flashing with anger. It was a wonderful tableau which had
grouped itself upon that little strip of sand.

The Sicilian was unmoved. The sight of the woman he loved championing
his foe seemed to madden him.

"Out of my way!" he cried, grasping his sword firmly. "Lord St. Maurice,
are you not weary of skulking behind a woman's petticoats? On guard! I
say. On guard!"

She suddenly flung her hands above her head, and there was what seemed
to be a miraculous increase in the little group. Three men in plain,
dark clothes sprang from behind a gigantic bowlder, and, in an instant,
the Sicilian was seized from behind.

He looked around at his captors, pale and furious. They were strangers
to him. As yet, he did not realize what had happened.

"What does this mean?" he cried furiously. "Who dares to lay hands upon
me? We are on free ground!"

She shook her head.

"Leonardo, you have brought this upon yourself," she said, firmly but
compassionately. "You plotted to murder the man I love. I warned you
that, to protect him, there was nothing which I would not dare. Only a
moment ago I gave you another chance. One word from you