. He is your brother, and, so,
sacred to me. He came to tell me that no betrothal was possible between
us, forbade me ever again to visit Godolphin Court, dubbed me pirate and
vampire to my face and reviled my father's memory. I tracked the evil
of all this to its source in Killigrew, and rode straight to Arwenack to
dam that source of falsehood for all time. I did not accomplish quite
so much as I intended. You see, I am frank, my Rose. It may be that Sir
John will live; if so I hope that he may profit by this lesson. I have
come straight to you," he concluded, "that you may hear the tale from me
before another comes to malign me with false stories of this happening."

"You... you mean Peter?" she cried.

"Alas!" he sighed.

She sat very still and white, looking straight before her and not at all
at Sir Oliver. At length she spoke.

"I am not skilled in reading men," she said in a sad, small voice. "How
should I be, that am but a maid who has led a cloistered life. I was
told of you that you were violent and passionate, a man of bitter
enmities, easily stirred to hatreds, cruel and ruthless in the
persecution of them."

"You, too, have been listening to Sir John," he muttered, and laughed
shortly.

"All this was I told," she pursued as if he had not spoken, "and all
did I refuse to believe because my heart was given to you. Yet... yet of
what have you made proof to-day?"

"Of forbearance," said he shortly.

"Forbearance?" she echoed, and her lips writhed in a smile of weary
irony. "Surely you mock me!"

He set himself to explain.

"I have told you what Sir John had done. I have told you that the
greater part of it--and matter all that touched my honour--I know Sir
John to have done long since. Yet I suffered it in silence and contempt.
Was that to show myself easily stirred to ruthlessness? What was it but
forbearance? When, however, he carries his petty huckster's rancour so
far as to seek to choke for me my source of happiness in life and sends
your brother to affront me, I am still so forbearing that I recognize
your brother to be no more than a tool and go straight to the hand that
wielded him. Because I know of your affection for Sir John I gave him
such latitude as no man of honour in England would have given him."

Then seeing that she still avoided his regard, still sat in that frozen
attitude of horror at learning that the man she loved had imbrued
his hands with the blood of another whom she als