ct for a
moment, you will see through his motives."

His eyes narrowed. "There was no cause for apprehension," he said coldly.

"It was something I could not discuss with him, however," she returned,
"and so I was hardly in a position to advise him. You must believe me,
Braden, when I say that I am glad for his sake that you are here. He will
die happily now."

"He has suffered--so terribly?"

"It has been too horrible,--too horrible," she cried, suddenly covering her
eyes and shivering as with a great chill.

The tears rushed to Braden's eyes. "Poor old granddaddy," he murmured.
Then, after a second's hesitation, he turned and swiftly mounted the
stairs.

Anne, watching him from below, was saying to herself, over and over again:
"He will never forgive me, he will never forgive me." Later on, alone in
the gloomy library, she sat staring at the curtained window through which
the daylight came darkly, and passed final judgment upon herself after
months of indecision: "I have been too sure of myself, too sure of him.
What a fool I've been to count on a thing that is so easily killed. What a
fool I've been to go on believing that his love would survive in spite of
the blow I've given it. I've lost him. I may as well say farewell to the
silly hope I've been coddling all these months." She frowned as she
allowed her thoughts to run into another channel. "But they shall not
laugh at me. I'll play the game out. No whimpering, old girl. Stand up to
it."

Wade was waiting outside his master's door, his ear cocked as of old. The
same patient, obsequious smile greeted Braden as he came up.

"He knows you are here, Mr. Braden. I sent in word by the nurse."

"He is conscious?"

"Yes, sir. That's the worst of it. Always conscious, sir."

"Then he can't be as near to death as you think, Wade. He--"

"That's a pity, sir," said Wade frankly. "I was in hopes that it would
soon be all over for him."

"Am I to go in at once?"

"May I have a word or two with you first, sir?" said Wade, lowering his
voice to a whisper and sending an uneasy glance over his shoulder. "Come
this way, sir. It's safer over here. Uncommonly sharp ears he has, sir."

"Well, what is it? I must not be delayed--"

"I shan't keep you a minute, Mr. Braden. It's something I feel I ought to
tell you. Mr. Thorpe is quite in his right mind, sir, so you'll appreciate
more fully what a shock his proposition was to me. In a word, Mr. Braden,
he has offered m