the Honorable William Jones, who now mysteriously
reappeared, after a temporary absence which had not been noted.
The faint light of a match showed in the dim dawn. There came a
puff of smoke or so, a tiny crackling. A denser burst of smoke
pierced through the light flames. Soon the fire settled to its
work, eating in even against the damp planking of the boat. The
drier railings caught, the deck floors, the sides of the cabin. In
half an hour the _Helen Bell_, early border transport, was a mass
of flames. In a quarter-hour more, her stacks had fallen overboard
and the hulk lay consumed half to the water-line.

[Illustration: Soon the fire settled to its work.]

CHAPTER XVII

THE LADY AT TALLWOODS

The arrival of the four visitors at Tallwoods, and their departure
so soon thereafter, were events of course not unknown to Josephine,
but only conjecture could exist in her mind as to the real nature
of the errand in either case. Jeanne, her maid, speculated as to
this openly.

"That docteur also, he is now gone," said she, ruefully. "But yet,
behold the better opportunity for us to escape, Madame. Ah, were
it not for the injury of madame, I should say, let us at once set
out--we could follow the road."

"But they will return!" exclaimed her mistress. "We can not tell
how long they will be gone. And, Jeanne, I suffer."

"Ah, my poor angel! You suffer! It is criminal! We dare not
start. But believe me, Madame, even so, it is not all misfortune.
Suppose we remain; suppose Monsieur Dunwodee comes back? You
suffer. He has pity. Pity is then your friend. In that itself
are you most strong. Content yourself to be weak and helpless for
a time. Not even that brute, that assassin, that criminal, dare
offend you now, Madame. But--of course he is impossible for one
like madame; yet I have delight to hear even a brute, an assassin,
make such love! _Ah, mon Dieu_!"

Jeanne pursed a lip impartially. "_Mon Dieu_! And he was
_repressed_, by reason of my presence. He was restrained, none the
less, by this raiment here of another, so mysterious. Ah, if he--"

"_Tais-toi donc_, Jeanne!" exclaimed her mistress. "No more! We
shall stay until to-morrow, at least."

And so the day passed. The sleepy life of the old plantation went
on about them in silence. As a wild animal pursued, oppressed, but
for the time left alone in some hiding-place, gains greater courage
with each moment of freedom from p