. His patience and restraint were wonderful in a man of his
peculiar savagery. And surely it pointed his love for her. Had it been
simply the momentary passion of an untamed nature, he would have
waited for nothing, when once she had become his possession.

It was a curious anachronism that she should be the mistress of the
situation with such a man as James. Yet so far she was mistress of the
situation. The question was, how long would she remain so? It is
possible that she had no understanding of this at first. It is
possible that she would have resented such a question, had it occurred
to her when she first consented to break away from her old life.

But now it was different. Now that she began to understand all she had
flung away for this man, when the mother in her was at last fully
aroused, and all her wits were driven headlong to discover a way by
which to satisfy her all-consuming desire for her children, now the
native cunning of the woman asserted itself. She saw in one revealing
flash her position, she saw where lay her power at the moment, and she
clung to it desperately, determined to play the man while she could to
gain her ends.

Thus it was she was nervous, apprehensive, every time she thought it
likely that her lover was about to visit her. She dreaded what might
transpire. She dreaded lest her power should be weakened before she
had accomplished her end. It was difficult; it was nerve-racking. She
must keep his love at fever-heat. It was her one chance.

Again she started. It was the sound of a fresh footstep beyond the
door. She glanced at the door with half-startled eyes and sat
listening. Then her lips closed decidedly and a look of purpose crept
into her eyes. A moment later she stood up. She was pale, but full of
purpose.

"Is that you, Jim?" she called.

"Sure," came the ready response.

The next instant the door was flung open and the man came in.

His bronzed face was smiling, and the savage in him was hidden deep
down out of sight. His handsome face was good to look upon, and as the
woman's eyes surveyed his carefully clad slim figure she felt a thrill
of triumph at the thought that he was hers at the raising of her
finger.

But she faced him without any responsive smile. She had summoned him
with a very definite purpose in her mind, and no display of anything
that could be interpreted into weakness must be made.

"I want to talk to you," she said, pointing at the rocking-chair she