been born in her heart, a
love which overwhelmed and submerged everything else. For that she had
dared everything, and she had found her way to the cell of this man
accused of murder.

"But even yet I do not think you realise," he said. "Oh, don't
misunderstand me, Mary. You know how my heart rejoices in this
moment--how I would gladly suffer ten times more than I have suffered
for the joy of this hour. Why, the thought of your love has been life
to me. It has been the inspiration of everything I've done. Ever
since that day I caught the flash of your angry eyes--the day when I
came out of prison, you have dominated everything. Your presence has
filled everything. Even while I hated you, I loved you. Even when I
steeled my heart against you, you were everything to me. I did not
know you, but that did not matter. What is knowledge? Of course, I
only thought that you regarded me as a thing beneath your notice, but
that did not matter. You were born for me, and I swore that you should
be mine, even although I went to hell to get you. And now, now that
you've come to me like this, Great God, Mary, you know what it must
mean to me! Words are such poor little things, aren't they? But
you're here, here!"

He caught her hand as he spoke, and again looked into the depths of her
eyes; while she, although she was half-afraid, stood steadily gazing at
him.

"I'm accused of murder, Mary. Do you understand? Murder! I was never
jealous of him, and yet men said that you and he were to be wedded.
You know all about it?"

"Yes, I know," she said.

"And you believe I'm guilty, don't you?"

"Guilty!" The girl laughed as she spoke. "Guilty! I believe in my
own guilt rather than yours."

"But I'm going to be hanged for it," he said. "The knife which was
found in his heart, is my knife. Don't you see?"

"I see everything," she replied. "I see nothing. But you guilty!"
And again she laughed.

"You don't believe it, then? You have seen what the newspapers have
said? You have read every bit of damning evidence against me? You
know that I have been lampooned in a thousand newspapers? You know
that I have been discussed by every pothouse villain in the land? And
it is said that there is not one link wanting in the chain that binds
me to the scaffold."

"I don't know, I don't care about that," she replied. "You are as
innocent as the angels in heaven. Why, Paul, if all the juries in the
land were to c