words of love, she must have them or die."

"Well, I shall not speak," he answered savagely. "Your husband is the
master of millions, but I am the master of something bigger--I am the
master of myself."

He paused, lowered his head and looked at her through his heavy
eyebrows drawn down for the moment a veil over his soul.

"You must remember," he went on slowly, "that there's something inside
a real man that claims one woman all his own. No man ever surrenders
this ideal without the death of his self-respect. I will not play a
second fiddle to your little husband. There's something that seals my
lips, the soul of my soul, the thing that says 'I will' and 'I will
not,' the power that links me to the infinite and eternal."

The strong face glowed with emotion. The utter sincerity of his deep
vibrant tones were at last convincing. The dark head dropped lower.
When she lifted it at last two despairing tears were shining in her
eyes.

"I understand, Jim," she said simply, "We will go on as we have. I'll
wait in silence."

He rose and lifted her to her feet. The voices of the youngsters rang
up the mountain's side.

"No, we can't go on like this now, Nan," he said with quiet strength.
"The silence has been broken between us. Your husband is my friend, and
from to-day our lives must lie apart. It's the only way."

She extended her hand and he pressed it tenderly. Her voice was the
merest sobbing whisper when she spoke: "Yes, Jim, I suppose it's the
only way."

CHAPTER VIII

THE WHITE MESSENGER

In spite of Bivens's protest Stuart returned to New York on the first
train the morning after the coaching party reached the house.

"Stay a week longer," the little man urged, "and I'll go with you;
we'll go together, all of us, in my car. I'm getting worse here every
day. I've got to get back to my doctors in New York."

"I'm sorry, Cal," he answered quickly, "but I must leave at once."

Nan allowed him to go without an effort to change his decision. A
strange calm had come over her. She drove to the station with him in
silence. He began to wonder what it meant.

As he stepped from the machine she extended her hand, with a tender
smile, and said in low tones:

"Until we meet again."

He pressed it gently and was gone.

He reached New York thoroughly exhausted and blue. The struggles
through which he had passed had left him bruised. He spent a sleepless
night on the train fighting its scenes over and ov