in tears--thus against his heart, and keep silence. In a torrent of
agonized eloquence the story of his love burst from his lips. "Why
should you be thus tortured?" he cried. "Heaven never willed you to
be mated to that boor--you, whose life should be all sunshine. Leave
him--leave him. He has cast you off. We have both suffered. Let us leave
this dreadful place--this isthmus between earth and hell! I will give
you happiness."

"I am going," she said faintly. "I have already arranged to go."

North trembled. "It was not of my seeking. Fate has willed it. We go
together!"

They looked at each other--she felt the fever of his blood, she read his
passion in his eyes, she comprehended the "hatred" he had affected for
her, and, deadly pale, drew back the cold hand he held.

"Go!" she murmured. "If you love me, leave me--leave me! Do not see me
or speak to me again--" her silence added the words she could not utter,
"till then."

CHAPTER XIV. GETTING READY FOR SEA.

Maurice Frere's passion had spent itself in that last act of violence.
He did not return to the prison, as he promised himself, but turned into
the road that led to the Cascades. He repented him of his suspicions.
There was nothing strange in the presence of the chaplain. Sylvia had
always liked the man, and an apology for his conduct had doubtless
removed her anger. To make a mountain out of a molehill was the act of
an idiot. It was natural that she should release Dawes--women were so
tender-hearted. A few well-chosen, calmly-uttered platitudes anent the
necessity for the treatment that, to those unaccustomed to the desperate
wickedness of convicts, must appear harsh, would have served his turn
far better than bluster and abuse. Moreover, North was to sail in
the Lady Franklin, and might put in execution his threats of official
complaint, unless he was carefully dealt with. To put Dawes again to the
torture would be to show to Troke and his friends that the "Commandant's
wife" had acted without the "Commandant's authority", and that must not
be shown. He would now return and patch up a peace. His wife would sail
in the same vessel with North, and he would in a few days be left alone
on the island to pursue his "discipline" unchecked. With this intent
he returned to the prison, and gravely informed poor Troke that he was
astonished at his barbarity. "Mrs. Frere, who most luckily had appointed
to meet me this evening at the prison, tells me that t