!

Over in the orchard a girl, walking slowly to the house, had stopped,
terrified; shrinking for him, not for herself, as with the unerring
instinct of her sex she realized how his pride would cringe before such
an exposure.

"Tom," he said at last, "you may have the fiver, but not because I'm
afraid of anything you can say. Nancy hasn't a thing in God's world to
be ashamed of, and neither have I. But it's plain that I can't come
again as long as you're drunk and seeing things. Here," handing him a
bill. "But it isn't a loan, or hush money, or anything of the
sort;--just hope money."

"How hope money?" Tom grinned, crumpling it eagerly in his hand.

"Because I hope you'll drink yourself to death with it. Good night."

It was late that night, and not until she had made a hurried walk across
the country to Arden, when Nancy stole into the house. Her ears told her
that Tom was lost in slumber, and she crept to her room, fastening the
door with the back of a chair wedged firmly beneath the knob. She was
breathing fast--this time from physical exertion. Her skirt showed one
or two rents where, in her haste, it had been forced through stiff
underbrush, and the knuckles of her hands were stained with fresh earth,
as though she might have crouched upon the ground somewhere to escape
detection. Only upon her face was there no sign of violence. In it
rested a light translatable as a great peace which comes to one who has
forgiven nobly, at the sacrifice of toil, an erring friend.

CHAPTER XIII

IN THE CIRCLE OF CEDARS

Brent reached Arden behind a sweaty horse. The meeting with Hewlet was
filling him more and more with an agonizing unrest. He wanted to be
alone, and he wanted not to be alone. He wanted to think, and he wanted
not to think. At least, he could not face the Colonel and the others
just now, so turning past the house to the most secluded spot the lawn
afforded, he brushed through the screen of cedar branches, felt his way
across the tanbark to a seat, and sank into it with a low curse.

Jane had heard the quick approaching steps, and now, because her eyes
were accustomed to the shadowy gloom, she recognized at once, not only
the man but a measure of his agitation by the way he breathed and jammed
one fist into the palm of his other hand. Yet, in a spirit of fun, she
remained motionless, wondering how soon he would detect her. Then a deep
groan burst from his lips. It was a sound of poignant sufferin