ht have gone with you and helped to baffle the police; but you were
not. You were very dull and played a stupid part. When you thought you
had won and I was in your power, I knew you for a brute."

Shillito colored, but forced a smile. "Perhaps I was dull; I was
desperate. You had kept me hanging round the summer camp when I knew the
police were on my track; and I had been put wise they might hold up the
train. A man hitting the trail for liberty doesn't use the manners of a
highbrow carpet-knight. I reckoned you were human and your blood was
red."

"Ah," said Barbara, "I was very human! Although I was afraid, I felt all
the passion hate can rouse. You declared I must stay with you, because I
durst not go back; I had broken rules and my fastidious relations would
have no more to do with me. Something like that! In a sense, it wasn't
true; but you said it with brutal coarseness. When I struck you I meant
to hurt; I looked for something that would hurt--"

She stopped and struggled for calm. To indulge her anger was some
relief, but she felt the man was dangerous and she must be cool. There
was not much use in leaving him and going to her mother, because he
would, no doubt, follow and disturb Mrs. Cartwright. It was unlucky her
step-father had not arrived; he was coming out, but his boat was not
expected for a day or two.

"Oh, well," said Shillito, "let's talk about something else. I didn't
calculate to meet you at Las Palmas, but when I saw you in the _calle_,
I hoped you might, after all, be kind for old times' sake. However, it's
obvious you have no use for me, and if you are willing to make it
easier, I'll pull out and leave you alone."

Barbara gave him a keen glance. She had known he wanted something.

"How can I make it easier for you to go?"

"You don't see? Well, I've had some adventures since you left me on
board the train. I had money, but I'd waited too long to negotiate some
of the bonds and my partner robbed me. I made San Francisco and found
nothing doing there. Went down the coast to Chile and got fixed for a
time at a casino, in which I invested the most part of my wad. One night
a Chileno pulled his knife on another who cleaned him out, and when the
police got busy the casino shut down. I pushed across for Argentina, but
my luck wasn't good, and I made Las Palmas not long since on board an
Italian boat. On the whole, I like the dagos, and reckoned I might try
Cuba, or perhaps the Philippines--"