often before; of that I
have no doubt at all. I've no mercy for you in my heart, and none for
Vandyke. I had none, even when I stopped the horses on your wedding day.
I didn't do that from any softening of heart toward either of you. It
was purely mechanical. I'd have done the same for a pair of thieves, I
assure you. Nothing you could say to me for yourself, Lady Diana, would
make me give up my revenge, or rather my justification, which--by his
own fault--can't come to me without Vandyke's ruin. But something you
have said about Peggy has made all the difference."

"About Peggy? What do you mean?" Di faltered.

"You said that she was a 'traitor to her people' for my sake. Now,
because I love her, I can't let her be that. I won't profit by her
loyalty to me--at your expense. And I won't have the world say in
speaking of her, 'There's Lady Peggy O'Malley, who bore witness against
her brother-in-law and ruined him.' For myself, I believe it wouldn't
give me a qualm if Vandyke blew out his brains to-morrow, but you have
made me realize that I couldn't bear it for _her_ sake. Thank you for
that, Lady Diana. Here is the paper which Peggy found inside the lining
of your husband's coat, and brought to me. Because of Peggy and my love
for her, take it and do with it as you choose."

Diana gave a little joyous shriek, but my cry of despair mingled with
it. I pushed back the screen so that it tottered and fell with a crash,
as I flew out in time to seize Eagle's hand with the paper in it.

"No!" I gasped. "Don't let me have lived for nothing, Eagle! I would
gladly have given my life to get this bit of paper for you. I shall die
of grief if I'm not to help you after all."

Holding the written message firmly in one hand, he laid the other over
mine.

"You heard all I said?" he asked. "I am glad. I meant you to hear it in
your sister's presence. Yet, though you heard, you speak of not
_helping_ me, Peggy? What she said isn't true, then? It isn't true that
you love me?"

"It is true, and you know it only too well," I answered, hardly
remembering that Diana listened, hanging anxiously on every word as on a
verdict for life or death. "I worship you, Eagle; and that's why I don't
care to live if you are not saved. The great chance has come, when we
least expected it, and if you don't take it now it's in your hand----"

"It seems to me that my way of taking the great chance is after all the
only way, if we are to be happy. Pegg