opose to keep me here?"

"Yes, until you give me a favorable answer."

"That will never be."

"Then you will stay here an indefinite period."

"Are there no laws in California?"

"None that will interfere with me. The people who live here are devoted
to my interests, as you will find. I don't wish to hurry you in your
decision, and will therefore leave you for the present. Your meals will
be sent you at regular times, and I will call again to-morrow."

He drew a key from his pocket, opened the door, and left the room,
locking the door behind him.

Florence sank into a chair, almost in despair.

CHAPTER XXVI.

A HARD-HEARTED JAILER.

Florence soon recovered a degree of self-possession, and began to
consider the situation. The room in which she so unexpectedly found
herself a prisoner was about fifteen feet square. There were two front
windows, from which she took a survey of the neighborhood, which she had
but slightly observed from the windows of the carriage. She could see no
other house, and naturally concluded that this had been selected on
account of its lonely location.

The distance from the window-sill to the ground was not over twelve
feet, and Florence began to consider whether she could not manage to
escape in this way.

She tried to open one of the windows, but could not stir it. Closer
examination showed her that it had been nailed down. She went to the
second window, and found that secured in a similar way.

"They evidently anticipated that I would try to escape," she thought to
herself.

Next her thoughts recurred to the woman who appeared to be the mistress
of the house. Not that she had any intention of appealing to her
kindness of heart, for the hard-featured Mrs. Bradshaw was not a woman
likely to be influenced by any such considerations. Florence had enjoyed
but a transient view of the lady's features, but she already had a
tolerably correct idea of her character.

"She is probably mercenary," thought Florence, "and is in Orton
Campbell's pay. I must outbid him."

This thought inspired hope, especially when from the window she saw her
persecutor ride away on horseback. This would gave her a fair field and
a chance to try the effect of money upon her jailer without risk of
interruption. She would have felt less sanguine of success if she had
heard the conversation which had just taken place between Mrs. Bradshaw
and her captor:

"Mind, Mrs. Bradshaw, you must not let the