r woman's spirit quailed before the deadly array of
facts, she felt faint, and one hand sought the table for support. But
with a tremendous effort she recovered herself. It was the thought of
Buck which helped her. She could not let him fall into the trap so
well laid by this--this creature, without an effort to save them both.
In a flash her mind pictured the scene of the Padre's capture. She saw
the fort surrounded by the "deputies." She saw the Padre shackled
before he could rise from his blankets. She saw Buck, under cover of
ruthless firearms, hurl himself to the rescue and pay for his temerity
with his life. In a sudden overwhelming passion of appeal she flung
herself on her knees before the terrible old woman.

"Aunt, aunt!" she cried. "You cannot be so heartless, so cruel. There
is a mistake. You are mistaken. The Padre swears to his innocence, and
if you knew him as I know him, as all this countryside knows him, you
_must_ believe. He is not capable of murder. My father committed
suicide. Think, think of all that went before his death, and you, too,
will see that everything points to suicide. Oh, aunt, think of what
you are doing. The plans you have made _must_ involve the man I love.
A perfectly innocent man, as even you know. If my father was all your
world, so is Buck all mine. He will defend the Padre. I know him. And
as you say he will pay the penalty with his life. If you have one
grain of pity, if you have one remaining thought of love for my dead
father, then spare this man to his daughter. Where is the right that
you should involve Buck? You do not even know him. Oh, aunt, you have
lived all these twenty years with me. In your own way you have cared
for me. Sacrifice your enmity against this innocent man. It will give
you a peace of mind you have never known before, and will give me the
happiness of the man I love."

Mercy's eyes lit with fine scorn as she caught at Joan's final words.

"The happiness of the man you love!" she cried with passionate anger,
"Why should I give you your man's love? Why should I help any woman to
a happiness I have never been allowed to taste? Perhaps it pleases me
to think that your Buck will be involved. Have I not warned you of the
disaster which you have permitted him to court? Listen, girl, not one
detail of all that which I have waited for will I forego. Not one
detail. When it is accomplished nothing on earth matters to me. The
sooner I am off it the better. The so