ven forced him into the quagmire of
crime. For that Guy had done this thing, or would ever have
dreamed of doing it, on his own initiative she did not believe.
And it was that certainty which had sent her from his empty hut on
the sand in pursuit of him, daring all to win him back ere he had
sunk too deep for deliverance. She had ridden to Ritzen by way of
the Vreiboom's farm, half-expecting to find Guy there. But she had
seen only Kieff and Piet Vreiboom. Her face burned still at the
memory of the former's satirical assurance that Guy was but a few
miles ahead of her and she would easily overtake him. He had
translated this speech to Piet Vreiboom who had laughed, laughed
with a sickening significance, at the joke. In her disgust she had
ridden swiftly on without stopping to ascertain if Guy had gone to
Ritzen or had decided to ride the whole forty miles to Brennerstadt.

The lateness of the hour, however, had decided her to make for the
former place since she knew she could get a train there on the
following morning and she could not face the long journey at night
alone on the _veldt_. It had been late when she reached Ritzen,
but she had thankfully found accommodation for the night at the by
no means luxurious hotel in which she had slept on the night of her
arrival so long ago.

Now in the early morning she was ready to start again, having
regretfully left her horse, Diamond, in the hotel-stable to await
her return.

If all went well, she counted upon being back, perhaps with Guy
accompanying her, in the early afternoon. And then she would
probably be at Blue Hill Farm again before Burke's return. She
hoped with all her heart to accomplish this. For though it would
be impossible to hide the fact of her journey from him, she did not
want him to suspect the actual reason that had made it so urgent.
Let him think that anxiety for Guy--their mutual charge--had sent
her after him! But never, for Guy's sake, let him imagine the
actual shameful facts of the case! She counted upon Burke's
ignorance as the strongest weapon for Guy's persuasion. Let him
but realize that a way of escape yet remained to him, and she
believed that he would take it. For surely--ah, surely, if she
knew him--he had begun already to repent in burning shame and
self-loathing.

He must have ridden all the way to Brennerstadt, for he was not at
Ritzen. Ritzen was not a place to hide in. Would she find him at
Brennerstadt? There