ls of blood."

"Which pools of blood you transferred to your new motor car, my present,
that I thought you valued."

"Roger! What did the motor matter, compared with saving a life?"

"Saving a life wasn't in question. An ambulance would have been on the
spot in a minute to take the girl to a hospital."

"She wouldn't have had love in a hospital. I felt it was for lack of
love she'd tried to kill herself...."

"A girl who steals her companions' money can't expect to have their
love...."

"Oh! So that's what the newspaper says? I don't believe she stole. Wait
till you see the poor little thing, Roger."

"I don't want to see her. Now she's here, she'll have to stay till she
dies, or can be safely moved. I've no wish to be cruel. But when she can
go, I want her to do so. I don't mind giving...."

"You do mind giving faith and sympathy!" Beverley burst out. "Why should
you take me on faith, and refuse it to another? You knew nothing about
me ... I know nothing about this child...."

"Ah, you're sure you know nothing about her!" His tone was bitter.

"What could I know?" she echoed. "I brought her straight home, and she
hasn't been able to talk ... except a few words."

"It occurred to me as rather odd you should do so much for a complete
stranger."

"Oh, I see! You think I knew her ... before?"

"I thought it possible. Her name put the idea into my head. I heard you
say it once ... in your ... sleep ... Riley ... or something like that."

For the third time Beverley blushed, one of her fatal, agonized blushes.
The rush of blood forced tears to her eyes; and a certain strained look
in them, a quivering of the lips, brought back to Roger's mind a picture
of her in the train. That was the first time he had seen her blush. She
had said--he remembered well--"You are the only man I'm interested in,"
and had blushed furiously. He had been sure then that she was no
adventuress. She had looked like a frightened child, and she looked like
one now. With that picture of the girl in the train came back another
recollection. She had asked if any man had inquired for her, or if any
"noticeable" person had sought his acquaintance. He had replied that
he'd not spoken with a soul except a man he knew slightly, a Congressman
from California named O'Reilly. He supposed that O'Reilly didn't
interest her? Upon this, with a desperate blush, she had made her
startlingly frank reply.

As this came back, Roger's heart was no longer