y back's broad enough to bear a few hard
words."

She stepped towards him with a movement that was horribly cringing.

"You've got me beat. I'm all in. You won't make me go back to 'Frisco?"

His genial manner vanished and his voice grew on a sudden hard and
stern.

"Why don't you want to go back there?"

She cowered before him.

"I guess my people live there. I don't want them to see me like this.
I'll go anywhere else you say."

"Why don't you want to go back to San Francisco?"

"I've told you."

He leaned forward, staring at her, and his great, shining eyes seemed to
try to bore into her soul. He gave a sudden gasp.

"The penitentiary."

She screamed, and then she fell at his feet, clasping his legs.

"Don't send me back there. I swear to you before God I'll be a good
woman. I'll give all this up."

She burst into a torrent of confused supplication and the tears coursed
down her painted cheeks. He leaned over her and, lifting her face,
forced her to look at him.

"Is that it, the penitentiary?"

"I beat it before they could get me," she gasped. "If the bulls grab me
it's three years for mine."

He let go his hold of her and she fell in a heap on the floor, sobbing
bitterly. Dr Macphail stood up.

"This alters the whole thing," he said. "You can't make her go back when
you know this. Give her another chance. She wants to turn over a new
leaf."

"I'm going to give her the finest chance she's ever had. If she repents
let her accept her punishment."

She misunderstood the words and looked up. There was a gleam of hope in
her heavy eyes.

"You'll let me go?"

"No. You shall sail for San Francisco on Tuesday."

She gave a groan of horror and then burst into low, hoarse shrieks which
sounded hardly human, and she beat her head passionately on the ground.
Dr Macphail sprang to her and lifted her up.

"Come on, you mustn't do that. You'd better go to your room and lie
down. I'll get you something."

He raised her to her feet and partly dragging her, partly carrying her,
got her downstairs. He was furious with Mrs Davidson and with his wife
because they made no effort to help. The half-caste was standing on the
landing and with his assistance he managed to get her on the bed. She
was moaning and crying. She was almost insensible. He gave her a
hypodermic injection. He was hot and exhausted when he went upstairs
again.

"I've got her to lie down."

The two women and Davidson were in the same