the
man was thinking he did not say nor reveal by so much as an expression.
He had given his word not to do so; and with Darley Roberts a promise was
sacred. A question he did ask, though, at last.

"Wouldn't you like me to go and find out for certain, Elice?" he
suggested. "I'll do so if you wish."

"No." It was almost a plea. "We'll find out soon, very soon, I'm
positive. I'll know whatever he does. He's certain to tell me; and I
wish you here if he comes. Besides, neither of us could do anything
whatever to alter the inevitable, even if we tried. We must simply wait;
it can't be much longer now."

Once more there was a long silence, ghastly in its dragging moments, and
again broken by the man.

"I shan't trouble you to go through the argument again, Elice," he said,
"or attempt to alter your decision, whatever it may be. I can't presume
to judge another's soul. But, merely to know for certain: you've decided
positively to marry him, if--" The sentence ended in silence and a
gesture.

His companion did not answer, appeared almost not to hear.

"Tell me, please," repeated the man gently. "You may as well. It won't
hurt either of us any more for you to say it--if you've so decided."

"Yes," answered the girl this time. "I've tried and tried to find an
escape; but there is none." She passed her hand over her throat as though
the words choked her, but her voice was now steady. "His blood would be
upon my head, always, if I could prevent and still let him go--down. God
help you and me both, but I can't do otherwise!"

A moment longer Roberts sat still--fixedly still; he stood up, his great
hands clenched until they were as white as the scar itself.

"I think I'd better go now," he said, "before Armstrong comes." The great
shoulders of him were swelling and receding visibly with each breath. "I
don't know, of course; but I fear to go passive and unresisting to the
stake myself, and to remain passive and unresisting when I saw the same
fire that was to be my fate touching you, scorching you slowly to
death--and for a fault that was neither of your making nor mine, for
which we are in no respect responsible--I'm afraid that is beyond me,
Elice. I'd better go at once, before he comes."

"No." The girl, too, was on her feet facing him. "Please don't. You don't
really mean what you just said."

"Don't I? You believe in miracles. I'm human and I'd throttle him if he
came while I was here--and came as he came once bef