tantly.

"Mine! Mine at last, Myra!" he said in a low, vibrant voice, as he
slipped his arm around her waist and drew her into the room. "The hour
for which I have waited and craved."

"Don Carlos, is it useless to appeal to you to let me go?" gasped Myra.
"Surely I have suffered enough without--without--this----?"

"Darling, why should you fear love now?" responded Don Carlos tenderly,
enfolding her in his arms. "Let me fire your heart with the burning
ardour of my passion. I have won you, and I swore I would, and I claim
my reward. Myra, mia, I want you--want you!"

His dark eyes were ablaze with ardour, his lean face was flushed, and
his breath was coming and going pantingly as he crushed Myra to him and
kissed her until his kisses seemed to be burning her very Soul and her
senses were reeling. All power of resistance had gone from her. She
felt dazedly as if she were encompassed by flames and no hope of
escape. She was conquered....

* * *

Languidly Myra opened her eyes--and sat up with an involuntary cry of
consternation, for she could see nothing, and the terrifying thought
flashed through her mind that she had gone blind. Then she remembered
that the rocky apartment was dark as a tomb when the electric lights
were not burning, and she groped for the switch.

As the lights sprang to life, realisation of what had happened burned
its way into her horrified consciousness, and a burning blush stained
her pale, lovely face. She was alone in the bedroom, but she knew
instinctively that she had not been alone for long. Her hands went
convulsively to her breast, and she shuddered violently and moaned in
anguish.

Then followed anger--fierce, passionate fury against the man who had
imposed his will on her, and with clenched fists she beat the pillow on
which she knew his head had rested. The fury of rage speedily
exhausted itself, and Myra buried her face in her hands and sobbed
fearlessly.

"He will come back," she thought distractedly. "He will come back to
make mock of me, to gloat over me. Oh, if only I could get away! If
only I could die!"

She sprang out of bed and began to dress in frantic haste, starting at
every sound. She could not have explained what she intended to do or
the reason for her haste. All she knew was that she must get out of
the bedroom before Don Carlos returned.

Her hurried toilet completed, Myra with trembling fingers cautiously
opened the bedroo