med to be rocking under her feet, and
a dreadful consciousness of sheer, physical weakness rushed upon
her. She went back against the table, seeking for support.

But through it all, desperately she made her gallant struggle for
freedom. "You will never master me against my will," she said.
"I--I--I'll die first!"

And then, as the last shred of her strength went from her she
covered her face with her hands, shutting him out.

"Ah!" he said. "But who goes into battle without first counting
the cost?"

He spoke sombrely, without anger; yet in the very utterance of the
words there was that which made her realize that she was beaten.
Whether he chose to avail himself of the advantage or not, the
victory was his.

At the end of a long silence, she lifted her head. "I give you
best, partner," she said, and held out her hand to him with a
difficult smile. "I'd no right--to kick over the traces--like
that. I'm going to be good now--really."

It was a frank acceptance of defeat; so frank as to be utterly
disarming. He took the proffered hand and held it closely, without
speaking.

She was still trembling a little, but she had regained her
self-command. "I'm sorry I was such a little beast," she said.
"But you've got me beat. I'll try and make good somehow."

He found his voice at that. It came with an odd harshness.
"Don't!" he said. "Don't!--You're not--beat. The battle isn't
always to the strong."

She laughed faintly with more assurance, though still somewhat
shakily. "Not when the strong are too generous to take advantage,
perhaps. Thank you for that, partner. Now--do you mind if I take
Guy his nourishment?"

She put the matter behind her with that inimitable lightness of
hers which of late she had seemed to have lost. She went from him
to wait upon Guy with the tremulous laugh upon her lips, and when
she returned she had fully recovered her self-control, and talked
with him upon many matters connected with the farm which he had not
heard her mention during all the period of her nursing. She
displayed all her old zest. She spoke as one keenly interested.
But behind it all was a feverish unrest, a nameless, intangible
quality that had never characterized her in former days. She was
elusive. Her old delicate confidence in him was absent. She
walked warily where once she had trodden without the faintest
hesitation.

When the meal was over, she checked him as he was on the point of
going t