sh I had never been born. "It's
been all I could do to control myself in his presence, I have come so
utterly to hate and despise him," she added.

"I don't wonder," growled Lord Ralles. "My only surprise is--"

With that they passed out of hearing again, leaving me fairly
desperate with shame, grief, and, I'm afraid, with anger.

I felt at once guilty and yet wronged. I knew my conduct on the trail
must have seemed to her ungentlemanly because I had never dared
to explain that my action there had been a pure bluff, and that I
wouldn't have really searched her for--well, for anything; but though
she might think badly of me for that, yet I had done my best to
counter-balance it, and was running big risks, both present and
eventual, for Madge's sake. Yet here she was acknowledging that thus
far she had used me as a puppet, while all the time disliking me. It
was a terrible blow, made all the harder by the fact that she was
proving herself such a different girl from the one I loved--so
different, in fact, that, despite what I had heard, I couldn't quite
believe it of her, and found myself seeking to extenuate and even
justify her conduct. While I was doing this, they came within hearing,
and Lord Ralles was speaking.

"--with you," he said. "But I still do not see what I can do, however
much I may wish to serve you."

"Can't you go to him and insist that he--or tell him what I really
feel toward him--or anything, in fact, to shame him? I really can't go
on acting longer."

That reached the limit of my endurance, and I crawled from my burrow,
intending to get out from under that platform, whether I was caught or
not. I know it was a foolish move; after having heard what I had, a
little more or less was quite immaterial. But I entirely forgot my
danger, in the sting of what Madge had said, and my one thought was to
stand face to face with her long enough to--I'm sure I don't know what
I intended to say.

Just as I reached the plank, however, I heard Lord Ralles ask--

"Who's that?"

"It's me," said a voice,--"the station agent." Then I heard a
door close. Some one walked out to the centre of the platform and
remarked--

"That 'ere way freight is late."

At least the letters were recovered.

CHAPTER XV

THE SURRENDER OF THE LETTERS

If the letters were safe, that was a good deal more than I was. The
moment the station-master had made his agreed-upon announcement, he
said to the walkers--

"Had an