en she said slowly, "And I am the mistress of all the Carnaby
property. It is mine to do what I like with. I could borrow money
upon it, or sell it?"

"Under conditions," said Deringham with a little smile of relief,
though his face grew clouded again. "Alton has made it yours, almost
too absolutely."

Alice Deringham did not remember what next passed between them or how
she dismissed her father, but presently she sat alone staring down
across the blue inlet with eyes that saw nothing. She was numbly
sensible of a horrible humiliation, but that troubled her the least.
Alton was standing with his back to the wall and in some vague peril of
his life, and it was she who had helped to betray him. She almost
hated her father, and she loathed herself, and yet a ray of hope shone
through her fears. Carnaby was wholly hers, and with it she held the
power to help him. That something which would test her courage to the
uttermost must be done before he would accept help from her she knew,
but the pride which had been a curse to her was in the dust, and when
the vague project slowly grew into shape she rose and sought Forel.
She was very composed in speech and bearing, but when the merchant
heard what she asked him he gasped with astonishment.

"I want it done as soon as possible," she said.

CHAPTER XXXI

"THE THIRD TIME"

Horton was essentially practical, and once he saw his way usually set
about the following of it without any of the misgivings which might
have proved a hindrance to more intellectual men. There were, however,
times when Seaforth wondered uneasily whether he was doing well, but he
decided that as the outlook could not be much more unfavourable any
variation would almost of necessity be an improvement, and that one
could not afford to be over-scrupulous in a struggle with a man of
Hallam's description. Accordingly he hoped for the best, and resigned
himself to Horton, who grew more assured of the beneficence and
legality of his proceedings during the journey to Somasco, where
Seaforth accompanied him, and as soon as he arrived there sent round
demanding the attendance of all the ranchers in that vicinity at his
store, in the name of the law. He, however, contrived that the summons
should not reach the few who, having refused to join the Somasco
Consolidated, were suspected of complicity with Hallam, until it was
too late, and though Seaforth ventured a few protestations, appeared
perfectly