pardon us, Mrs. Britton?" Then after another patient moment,
"Miss Gilsey has something to say to me." Still he made no motion to
move away, and at last Clara seemed to understand what was expected of
her. She flushed, and in the middle of that color her eyes flashed
double steel. For the first time in Flora's memory she was at a loss.
She passed them without a word.

Kerr looked after the little brilliant figure, moving daintily away
through sun and shadow, with deep disgust in his face. But when he
turned to Flora disgust lifted to high severity. It was she who appeared
the guilty one, and he the accuser.

"Why didn't you come, last night?"

"I couldn't. _He_ was there, Harry, outside my door."

"In God's name! What did you tell him?"

"Nothing. We did not speak--but I couldn't get past him!" The suspicion
in his face was more than she could bear. "You must believe me--for, if
you don't, we're both lost!"

He had her by both wrists, now, and gently made her face him. "I have
believed in you to the extent of coming alone to a place I know nothing
of, because you wanted me. Now that I am here, what is it you have to
say to me?"

"Oh, nothing more than I have said before," she pleaded; "only that, ten
times more earnestly."

"You extraordinary child!" At first, he was pure amazement. "You've
brought me so far, you've come so far yourself--you've got us both here
in such danger, to tell me only this? How could you be so mad--so
cruel?"

She had locked her hands in front of her until the nails showed white
with the pressure. "It was more dangerous there than here. You don't
know what has happened since I saw you. And I thought if you and I could
only be alone together, without the fear of _them_ always between us, I
could show you, I could persuade you--" Before his look she broke down.
"Well--you see, they followed us--they're here."

"Grant it, they are." He seemed to laugh at them. "You have still your
chance. Give everything to me and I can save you still."

"'Save _me_?' Oh, nothing could happen to me so terrible as having you
break my heart like this! If I should give the sapphire to you I should
lose you--even the thought of you--for ever. Nothing could ever be right
with us again! Won't you--" she pleaded, "won't you go?" and lifting her
hands, taking his face between them, "Won't you, because I love you?"

He stood steady to this assault, and smiled down upon her. "Without you
and without it I will