d him." She raised her skinny hand up, and her eyes became glazed.
"He had used me vilely and I struck him down. He was a bad man."

"You let an innocent man bear punishment, you struck at one who did you
no harm, and you spoiled his life for him. You can see that, can't you?"

The woman's eyes sought the face of Dyck Calhoun, and Calhoun said: "No,
you did not spoil my life, Noreen Boyne. You have made it. Not that I
should have chosen the way of making it, but there it is, as God's in
heaven, I forgive you."

Noreen's face lost some of its gloom. "That makes it easier," she said
brokenly. "I can't atone by any word or act, but I'm sorry. I've kept
you from being happy, and you were born to be happy. Your father had
hurt mine, had turned him out of our house for debt, and I tried to pay
it all back. When they suspected you I held my peace. I was a coward;
I could not say you were innocent without telling the truth, and that
I could not do then. But now I'll tell it--I think I'd have told it
whether I was dying or not, though. Yes, if I'd seen you here I'd have
told it, I'm sure. I'm not all bad."

Sheila leaned over the bed. "Never mind about the past. You can help a
man back to the good opinion of the world now."

"I hurt you too," said Noreen with hopeless pain. "You were his friend."

"I believed in him always--even when he did not deny the crime," was the
quiet reply.

"There's no good going on with that," said the governor sharply. "We
must take down her statement in writing, and then--"

"Look, she is sinking!" said Calhoun sharply. The woman's head had
dropped forward, her chin was on her breast, and her hands became
clenched.

"The doctor at once-bring in the nurse," said Calhoun. "She's dying."

An instant later, the nurse entered with Sheila, and in a short time the
doctor came.

When later the doctor saw Lord Mallow alone he said: "She can't live
more than two days."

"That's good for her in a way," answered the governor, and in reply to
the doctor's question why, he said: "Because she'd be in prison."

"In prison--has she broken the law?"

"She is now under arrest, though she doesn't know it.

"What was her crime, your honour?"

"She killed a man."

"What man?"

"Him for whom Dyck Calhoun was sent to prison--Erris Boyne."

"Mr. Calhoun was not guilty, then?"

"No. As soon as the woman is dead, I mean to announce the truth."

"Not till then, your honour?"

"Not till then."

"It'