tter, more the real kind Jack she loves, if you _asked_ for that
forgiveness, though Dick does give it so freely? Oh, Jack, here is your
chance of making amends; here is your chance of telling Dick how grieved
your are.'

There was a long silence.

'I'll do it,' said Jack, rousing himself. 'I'll speak to my mother
to-night.'

He started up and walked to the cliff, and stood close to the edge, as
if he wanted to get as far away from the earth as possible.

Estelle buried her face in her hands, and longed for Aunt Betty, for
Goody, for anybody wiser and older than herself. How long she sat, her
mind full of hopes and prayers, she did not know. Suddenly she became
conscious of some movement near. Looking up, startled, she saw Thomas
creeping up to Jack. Jack's back was towards him, and one push would
have sent him off the edge of the cliff, into the depths below. She
screamed in her terror. Jack turned and faced his enemy.

Thomas did not retreat. He was too desperate. His hopes were dead, and
his sole chance was in destroying the man who stood in his path. He
flung himself upon Jack, with a confused notion that if he could not
hurl him over the cliff, they might both go over together. At any rate,
Jack should not get that profit out of the Earl's daughter to which he
thought he himself had the sole right. He fought in wild despair,
striking out, clinging to Jack's arms and legs, and throwing his weight
on him in the mad effort to bear him down, or force him over the
precipice. Jack could not understand his insane fury, and tried at first
simply to overpower him, in order to hear what he was about, and ask him
questions. But Thomas had no intention of being questioned. He wanted to
get rid of this man once and for all. If Estelle had not screamed, he
would have done it, too. He would pay her out for that, he thought, if
he could be the winner in this struggle.

To his dismay, however, he found he was getting decidedly the worst of
it. Jack was a giant in strength as well as in height. Finding the man
would not listen to reason, he put out his strength, and Thomas soon
found himself spinning along the ground at breakneck speed, considerably
the worse for the handling he had received. Stunned and bruised, he lay
like a log where he fell, and Jack let him lie, after a glance to see he
was not much hurt.

Taking Estelle's hand, Jack led her towards the village, but the little
girl, upset and shaken as she was by the fi