bling words, "_You shall not_!" The room seemed surcharged for a
moment with impending shock. And then his physical eyes took in again
the slimness of her, seized upon the alluring smallness of her and the
fact that he could have tossed her to the ceiling without great effort.
And yet he saw her as one sees a goddess.

"No, I won't ask you questions, when you look at me like that," he
said, finding his tongue. "I won't ask you what this price is that
Kedsty may demand, because you're not going to pay it. If you won't go
with me, I won't go. I'd rather stay here and be hung. I'm not asking
you questions, so please don't shoot, but if you told me the truth, and
you belong in the North, you're going back with me--or I'm not going.
I'll not budge an inch."

She drew a deep breath, as if something had greatly relieved her. Again
her violet eyes came out from the shadow into sunlight, and her
trembling mouth suddenly broke into a smile. It was not apologetic.
There was about it a quick and spontaneous gladness which she made no
effort at all to conceal.

"That is nice of you," she said. "I'm glad to hear you say it. I never
knew how pleasant it was to have some one who was willing to be hung
for me. But you will go. And I will not go. There isn't time to explain
all about it just now, for Inspector Kedsty will be here very soon, and
I must dry my hair and show you your hiding-place--if you have to hide."

She began to brush her hair again. In the mirror Kent caught a glimpse
of the smile still trembling on her lips.

"I'm not questioning you," he guarded himself again, "but if you could
only understand how anxious I am to know where Kedsty is, how Fingers
found you, why you made us believe you were leaving the Landing and
then returned--and--how badly I want to know something about you--I
almost believe you'd talk a little while you are drying your hair."

"It was Mooie, the old Indian," she said. "It was he who found out in
some way that I was here, and then M'sieu Fingers came himself one
night when the Inspector was away--got in through a window and simply
said that you had sent him, when I was just about to shoot him. You
see, I knew you weren't going to die. Kedsty had told me that. I was
going to help you in another way, if M'sieu Fingers hadn't come.
Inspector Kedsty was over there tonight, at his cabin, when the thing
happened down there. It was a part of Fingers' scheme--to keep him out
of the way."

Suddenly