"You must not go--you must not--for my sake," she murmured.

The head drooped till the tumbled tresses met the caressing hand; one
pale cheek was so close to his he had but to bend his head to touch it
with his lips. His arm slipped round her, drawing her soft, yielding
form yet closer to him, and over him there swept a wave of emotion which
in another moment had carried him away upon its crest, away from duty,
away from the prosaic material world, away from everything but the woman
he held.

"You must not say that," he said hoarsely. "You must not. You are the
last who should try to turn me from my duty."

"Oh, but I cannot--I cannot let you go--it may be to your death. Wait
till day comes," she answered. "There are horses in the paddock. Patsy
can fetch you one. If you go now you will only wander aimlessly in the
dark while they may turn upon you, if they do not get farther and
farther away. Stay till the dawn."

"It will not be dawn for many hours."

"Why, what time do you think it is? It is nearly four."

Nearly four! Then he had slept right through the night so soundly that
on waking he thought he had only dozed.

"You will not go? Tell me you will not go?" she whispered, and he felt
her hands touch him lightly.

He drew back, fearful lest her fascination again overmastered him.

"Show me which way they went," he said brusquely, as he walked to the
steps leading down from the verandah.

As he reached them he turned. Mrs. Burke had drawn back into the shadow
beyond the open window.

"Will you show me which way they went?" he repeated.

He saw her hide her face in her hands, and the sound of a choked sob
came to him. In a moment he was at her side.

She shrank to the wall as he approached, raising her head and shaking
back the loose locks which streamed across her face.

"Go!" she exclaimed. "Go! Leave me! What am I that you should care? Only
a poor, weak, sad, and lonely woman. Forget----"

"Do not say that," he answered quickly, his voice vibrating with
passion. "You--you do not know--I would give my life----"

"I will not give you cause to say I kept you from your duty, Mr.
Durham," she went on. "Forget my weakness. I promise you it shall never
occur again."

She slipped past him and stood for a moment at the window, just long
enough to flash one look of resentment at him before she passed into the
room and extinguished the lamp.

CHAPTER VIII

THE NOTE THAT FAILED

When Durham