d he'll kill you or you'll kill him. She knows it as well as I do. Do
you suppose she can be sincere with you and keep this thing covered up
in her heart? You seem to have forgotten what she remembers and plots on
every minute of her life."

"I don't think she knows anything about what happened to me that night,
Vesta."

"She knows all about it," said Vesta coldly.

"I don't know her very well, of course; I've only passed a few words
with her," he excused.

"And a few notes hung on the fence!" she said, not able to hide her
scorn. "She's gone away laughing at you every time."

"I thought maybe peace and quiet could be established through her if she
could be made to see things in a civilized way."

Vesta made no rejoinder at once. She put her foot on the step as if to
leave him, withdrew it, faced him gravely.

"It's nothing to me, Duke, only I don't want to see her lead you into
another fire. Keep your eyes open and your hand close to your gun when
you're visiting with her."

She left him with that advice, given so gravely and honestly that it
amounted to more than a warning. He felt that there was something more
for him to say to make his position clear, but could not marshal his
words. Vesta entered the house without looking back to where he stood,
hat in hand, the moonlight in his fair hair.

CHAPTER XXI

A TEST OF LOYALTY

Lambert rode to his rendezvous with Grace Kerr on the appointed day,
believing that she would keep it, although her promise had been
inconclusive. She had only "expected" she would be there, but he more
than expected she would come.

He was in a pleasant mood that morning, sentimentally softened to such
extent that he believed he might even call accounts off with Sim Hargus
and the rest of them if Grace could arrange a peace. Vesta was a little
rough on her, he believed. Grace was showing a spirit that seemed to
prove she wanted only gentle guiding to abandon the practices of
violence to which she had been bred.

Certainly, compared to Vesta, she seemed of coarser ware, even though
she was as handsome as heart could desire. This he admitted without
prejudice, not being yet wholly blind. But there was no bond of romance
between Vesta and him. There was no place for romance between a man and
his boss. Romance bound him to Grace Kerr; sentiment enchained him. It
was a sweet enslavement, and one to be prolonged in his desire.

Grace was not in sight when he reached their meet