ound to challenge Marion, and that giv'
Marion the chyce of weppings. It was a reg'lar put up job to kill him."

"And what's all this to do with you?" she asked, with irritation.

"Hold on, won't you! and I'll tell you. I was pickin' up nets off
Saucelito about noon, when I was hailed by one of them Vigilance tugs,
and they set me to stand off and on the shore and watch that Marion
didn't get away, while they were scoutin' inland. Ye see THE DUEL TOOK
PLACE JUST OVER THE BLUFF THERE--BEHIND YE--and they allowed that
Marion had struck away north for Mendocino to take ship there. For after
overhaulin' his second's boat, they found out that they had come away
from Saucelito ALONE. But they sent a tug around by sea to Mendocino to
head him off there, while they're closin' in around him inland. They're
bound to catch him sooner or later. But you ain't listenin', Mollie?"

She was--in every fibre--but with her head turned towards the window,
and the invisible Golden Gate through which the fugitive had escaped.
For she saw it all now--that glorious vision--her high-bred, handsome
guest and Wynyard Marion were one and the same person. And this rough,
commonplace man before her--her own husband--had been basely set to
capture him!

PART II.

During that evening and the next Mrs. Bunker, without betraying her
secret, or exciting the least suspicion on the part of her husband,
managed to extract from him not only a rough description of Marion which
tallied with her own impressions, but a short history of his career. He
was a famous politician who had held high office in the South; he was an
accomplished lawyer; he had served in the army; he was a fiery speaker;
he had a singular command of men. He was unmarried, but there were queer
stories of his relations with some of the wives of prominent officials,
and there was no doubt that he used them in some of his political
intrigues. He, Zephas, would bet something that it was a woman who had
helped him off! Did she speak?

Yes, she had spoken. It made her sick to sit there and hear such
stories! Because a man did not agree with some people in politics it
was perfectly awful to think how they would abuse him and take away his
character! Men were so awfully jealous, too; if another man happened to
be superior and fine-looking there wasn't anything bad enough for them
to say about him! No! she wasn't a slavery sympathizer either, and
hadn't anything to do with man politics, alt