, firmly; "and your captain would
scarcely detain me here as a captive, against my will," she added,
smiling strangely.

"Well, may be he would, and may be he wouldn't! but here he comes, and
you can ask him," said the girl, as the galloping of a horse's feet was
heard in the front yard.

A moment passed, and then the robber chief, with three or four of his
men, entered the room, bringing with them the mail bags and other booty
taken from the stage-coach.

"Good-evening, Mrs. Berners! You are welcome back among your devoted
slaves!" was the greeting of Captain Inconnu, as half in deference, half
in mockery, he raised his cap and bowed low before the lady.

For an instant Sybil was dumb before the speaker, but she soon recovered
her self-possession and said:

"I ought to thank you for your gallantry in rescuing me from the custody
of those rude men; especially as the freedom you have given me affords
me the opportunity of voluntarily doing that which I should not like to
be forced into doing."

Captain Inconnu bowed in silence, and in some perplexity, and then he
said,

"I am not sure that I understand you, madam, as to what you would do."

"I would go freely before a court of justice, instead of being forced
thither," explained Sybil.

"I trust you would never commit such a suicidal act!" exclaimed the
captain, in consternation.

"Yes, I would, and I will. I care nothing for my life! I have lost all
that makes life worth the living! All is gone but my true honor--for its
mere semblance has gone with everything else. I would preserve that true
honor! I would place myself on trial, and trust in my innocence, and in
the help of Providence," said Sybil, speaking with a stoical firmness
wonderful to see in one so young.

Captain Inconnu, who had listened in silence, with his eyes fixed upon
the ground, now lifted them to her face and replied:

"Sleep on this resolution before you act, Mrs. Berners; and to-morrow we
will talk further on this subject."

"I must of necessity sleep on it before acting," said Sybil, with a
dreary smile, "since nothing can be done to-night; but also I must tell
you that nothing can change my resolution."

"Thus let it stand over until to-morrow," replied the captain. Then with
a total change of tone and manner, he turned to Gentiliska and said:

"Now let us have supper, my little princess, and afterwards we will open
the mail bags and see what they have brought us."

Gentilisk