e are three, and who is the third?"

The tears were gone out of her eyes now. They blazed with triumph and
satisfaction. She laughed aloud, exultingly, bitterly.

"Who is the third? Can you see? He is Neal Ward, the man you've chased,
the man you've been seeking day and night. There"--she pointed further
eastwards--"there is the American brig which will bear him away from
you. Do you understand?"

Captain Twinely followed her gaze and her pointing finger. He began to
understand.

"And I did it. I fooled you. I blinded your eyes while my niece fed him
in his hiding-place. I encouraged you to seek everywhere, and kept you
back from the place where he was. I--I made pretence of tolerating your
hateful presence. I made you think that I cared for you, loved you, you,
you--I would rather love a toad."

"You have deceived me, then, all the time, played with me."

"Yes," she laughed wildly, "deceived you, played with you, fooled you,
cheated you, and hated you--yes, hated, hated the very sight of you, the
abominable sound of your voice, the sickening touch of your hand."

"And I loved you," he said, simply. "I loved you so well that I think I
would have done anything for you. There was no need for you to fool me.
I would have let the man go if you had asked me. I would have let him
go, though I hate him, and I could not have asked leave even to kiss
your hand for my reward. I would have been content just to have pleased
you. Why did you cheat me?"

The Comtesse had no pity for him. The memory of the words he had spoken
to her, of his foolish face, of his amorous ways, of the touchings of
his hands which she had endured, thronged on her. Her lips curled back
over her teeth. Her eyes were hard like shining steel.

"I hate you," she hissed at him. "I have always hated you since the
night when you seized me and dragged me into the meeting-house. I would
have revenged myself for that even if there had been no prisoner to save
from you."

"I did not do that," said Captain Twinely, "and I did not know who you
were at the time. Be just to me even if you hate me. God knows that I
would have died to save you from the smallest hurt."

He fell on the ground before her.

"Oh," he cried, "have some pity for me. I love you with all my soul. Let
me serve you, let me wait on you. Let me see you sometimes and hear your
voice. Have you no pity for me? I do not ask for love, or friendship, or
the meanest gift. Only do not hate me. I