There was a sudden murmuring in the crowd, which was stilled by a motion
of Jethro Fawe's hand, and a moment afterwards Fleda gave her hand to
the woman.

"I will go with you," Fleda said. Then she turned to Jethro: "I wish to
speak to you alone, Jethro Fawe," she added.

He laughed triumphantly. "The wife of Jethro Fawe wishes to speak with
him," he bombastically cried aloud to the assembled people, and he
prepared to follow Fleda.

As Fleda entered the woman's tent a black-eyed girl, with tousled hair
and a bold, sensual face, ran up to Jethro, and in an undertone of evil
suggestion said to him:

"To-night is yours, Jethro. You can make tomorrow sure."

CHAPTER XXII. THE SECRET MAN

"You are wasting your time."

Fleda said the words with a quiet determination, and yet in the tone was
a slight over-emphasis which was like a call upon reserve forces within
herself.

"Time is nothing to me," was the complete reply, clothed in a tone
of soft irony. "I'm young enough to waste it. I've plenty of it in my
knapsack."

"Have you forgotten the Sentence of the Patrin?" Fleda asked the
question in a voice which showed a sudden access of determination.

"He will have to wipe it out after to-morrow," replied the other with a
gleam of sulky meaning and furtive purpose in his eyes.

"If you mean that I will change my mind to-morrow, and be your wife, and
return to the Gipsy life, it is the thought of a fool. I asked you
to come here to speak with me because I was sure I could make you see
things as they truly are. I wanted to explain why I did not tell the
Romanys outside there that the Sentence had been passed on you. I did
not tell them because I can't forget that your people and my people have
been sib for hundreds of years; that you and I were children together;
that we were sealed to one another when neither of us could have any say
about it. If I had remained a Gipsy, who can tell--my mind might have
become like yours! I think there must be something rash and bad in me
somewhere, because I tell you frankly now that a chord in my heart rang
when you made your wild speeches to me there in the hut in the Wood
months ago, even when I hated you, knowing you for what you are."

"That was because there was another man," interjected Jethro.

She inclined her head. "Yes, it was partly because of another man,"
she replied. "It is a man who suffers because of you. When he was alone
among his foes, a hundred to one,