l me that I am welcome," said Sir Charles,
flinging himself upon his knee before her.

With a strong shudder she looked away from the still, white, and sternly
composed face opposite to the darkening river and the evening star
shining calmly down upon a waste world.

At length she spoke. "I was all but beyond this world, cousin, so pardon
me if I seem to come back to it somewhat tardily. You have my thanks, of
course--my dear thanks--for saving my life--my life which is so precious
to me."

She gave him her hand with a strange smile, and he pressed his lips
upon it. "Your father is below, dearest cousin. Shall we descend to meet
him? As to this--gentleman," turning with a smile that was like a frown
to Landless, "I regret that circumstances combine to prevent our
rewarding him as the guardian (a trusty one, I am sure) of so precious a
jewel should be rewarded. But Colonel Verney will do--I will do--all
that is possible. In the mean time I observe with regret that he is
wounded. If he will allow me, I will send him my valet, who is below,
and is the best barber surgeon in the three kingdoms. Come, dearest
madam."

He bowed low and ceremoniously to Landless, who returned the salute with
grave courtesy, and gave his hand to Patricia. For one moment she looked
at Landless with wide, dark eyes, then, her spirit obedient to his
spirit, she turned and went from him without one word or backward look.

The color had quite faded from the west, and the stars were thickening
when Landless became conscious that the overseer was standing beside
him. "You are the hardest one to hold that ever I saw," said that worthy
grimly, and yet with a certain appreciation of the qualities that made
the man at his feet hard to hold showing in his tone, "but I fancy we've
got you at last. You've gone and put yourself in bilboes."

Landless smiled. "This time you may keep me. I shall not interfere. But
tell me how you come here. You were sent back to the Plantations."

"Ay," said the other, "and there was the devil to pay, I can tell you,
when I had to report you missing to Sir William. But Major Carrington
stood my friend, and I got off with a tongue-drubbing. Well, after about
three weeks or so, during which time the dogs and the searchers brought
back most all of the runaway niggers, and Mistress Lettice had hysterics
every day, back comes the Colonel and Sir Charles with ten of the twenty
men who had rowed them up the Pamunkey. The rest h