e sighed. It was the sigh of a broken-hearted woman.

"Yes. If there is any forgiveness I pray that it may come my way. I
need it all--all. I can never forgive myself. It was I who caused
Charlie's death."

Quite suddenly her whole manner changed. The humility, the sadness of
her tone rose quickly to a passionate self-denunciation.

"Yes, yes. I will tell you now. Oh, man, man. Your words--every one
of them, have only stabbed me more and more surely to the heart. You
don't understand. You can't, because you do not know what I mean. Oh,
yes," she went on desperately, "why shouldn't I admit it? I love you.
I always have loved you. Let me admit everything fully and freely."

"Kate!" The man stepped forward, his eyes alight with a world of
happiness, of overwhelming joy. But she waved him back.

"No, no," she cried, almost harshly. "I have told you that just to
show you how your words have well nigh crazed me. I can be nothing to
you. I can be nothing to anybody. It was I who brought about Charlie's
death. He, the bravest, the loyalest man I ever knew, gave his life to
save me from the police, who were hunting me down. Oh," she went on,
at sight of Fyles's incredulous expression, "you don't need to take my
word alone. Ask Charlie's brother. Ask Bill. He was there. He, too,
shared in the sacrifice, although he did not understand that which lay
in the depths of his brother's brave heart. And now--now I must live
on with the knowledge of what my wild folly has brought about. For
weeks the burden of thought and remorse has been almost insupportable,
and now you come to torture me further. Oh, God, I have paid for my
wanton folly and wickedness. Oh, God!"

Kate buried her face in her hands, and abruptly flung herself into the
rocker close behind her.

Fyles looked down upon her in amazed helplessness. He watched the
woman's heaving shoulders as great, dry, hard sobs broke from her in
tearless agony. He waited, feeling for the moment that nothing he
could say or do but must add to her despair, to her pain. Her
self-accusation had so far left him untouched. He could not realize
all she meant. All that was plain to him was her suffering, and he
longed to comfort her, and help her, and defend her against herself.

The moments slipped away, heavy moments of intense feeling and bitter
grief.

Presently the grief-stricken woman's sobs grew less, and with
something like a gesture of impatience she snatched her hands from her