w, and his words came very slowly.
"Do you know the crime I'm accused of?"

"Please don't talk of that," said Rose. "I know all about it."

"I wonder you come to see me. No one else does."

"Perhaps they're not allowed to. But my father and Captain Sartoris will
be here presently."

"Indeed! It's very kind of them."

"But, you see, we don't believe you're guilty; we think you'll be able
to prove your innocence at the trial."

Conversation goes but tamely when a prison warder dwells on every word.
The two stood in the centre of the cell, Jack holding tightly the girl's
right hand, while with her left she held the basket. Withdrawing her
hand from his ardent clasp, she placed the roses on the bench and
uncovered the dainties which the basket contained. There being no table
on which to place them, she spread the napkin on the bench, and laid the
delicacies upon it.

"I am allowed to come every other day," she said, "and next time I hope
to bring my father with me. He's engaged to-day with a ship."

"I never saw the men after they passed me on the track. I never did this
thing."

Rose took his hand in hers, and gently pressed it. "If you don't wish to
hurt me, you will not speak about it. At home we agree to say nothing.
We hear all sorts of things, but we keep silent--it makes it hurt less."

"You still have faith in me?"

"Why not?"

"Do others take that view?"

"I hope so."

"But I'm afraid the men on the diggings think hardly of me."

"Why should they? They are all coming to town, I am told, in order to
attend the trial."

"So much the greater will be my degradation, if I am found guilty."

"On the other hand, so much greater will be your triumph, when you prove
your innocence."

The conversation had got thus far, when voices were heard without, the
door of the cell opened, and the Pilot and Captain Sartoris entered.

"Well, lad," exclaimed old Summerhayes, as he vigorously shook Jack's
hand. "Keeping her head well to the wind, eh? That's the style, lad.
You'll find she'll weather the storm."

"Aye, aye," said Sartoris. "If she goes down with all hands it's not the
fault of the skipper, providing he's steered his true course."

"That's so," said the Pilot; "providing he's steered his true course. We
were thinking o' bail, Jack. We thought to make you comfortable till
you'd proved they'd arrested the wrong man; but that old barnacle of a
Judge wouldn't budge an inch. He consulted his log, and n