de one desperate effort to smile, but the effort failed
wretchedly. Neither of them could look at David; they could only steal
glances at one another and see their guilt.

"David, my brother--" began the gambler heavily.

But the voice of the master broke in: "Oh, Abraham, Abraham, would to
God that I had listened!"

He stood to one side, and made a sweeping gesture.

"Come out, and bring the woman."

They shrank past him and stood blinking in the light of the newly risen
sun. Joseph was hugging himself with the cold and his mute delight. The
master closed the door and faced them again.

"Even in the Room of Silence!" he said slowly. "Was it not enough to
bring sin into the Garden? But you have carried it even into the holy
place!"

Connor found his tongue. The fallen head of Ruth told him that there was
no help to be looked for from her, and the crisis forced him into a
certain boisterous glibness of speech.

"Sin, Brother David? What sin? To be sure, Ruth was too curious. She
went into the Room of Silence, but as soon as I knew she was there I
went to fetch her, when--"

He had even cast out one arm in a gesture of easy persuasion, and now it
was caught at the wrist in a grip that burned through the flesh to the
bones. Another hand clutched his coat at the throat. He was lifted and
flung back against the wall by a strength like that of a madman, or a
wild animal. One convulsive effort showed him his helplessness, and he
cried out more in horror than fear. Another cry answered him, and Ruth
strove to press in between, tearing futilely at the arms of David.

A moment later Connor was miraculously freed. He found David a long pace
away and Ruth before him, her arms flung out to give him shelter while
she faced the master of the garden.

"He is saved," said David, "and you are free. Your love has ransomed
him. What price has he paid to win you so that you will even risk death
for him?"

"Oh, David," sobbed the girl, "don't you see I only came between you to
keep you from murder? Because he isn't worth it!"

But the master of the Garden was laughing in a way that made Connor look
about for a weapon and shrink because he found none; only the greedy
eyes of Joseph, close by. David had come again close to the girl; he
even took both her hands in one of his and slipped his arm about her. To
Connor his self-control now seemed more terrible than that one outbreak
of murdering passion.

"Still lies?" said David.