thing. I have
always remembered a good deal more than you believed. Only it was so
dear, that comradeship of ours, that I would not let myself remember
anything except that I had you.

"And do you know what I admired and loved you for, even when you
thought my mind unstable and empty? How true you were! It was that,
dear. It was your honour, Paul.

"That was why, when I remembered everything that dreadful night in the
snow, the revulsion was so terrible. I ran away in horror. I could
not believe that it was true--and yet I knew it was true.

"And Leroux was waiting there and found me. I did not want to leave
you, but he told me there was Pere Antoine's cabin close by, and that
you would come to no harm. And he made me believe--you had stolen my
money as well. But I never believed that, and I only taunted you with
it to drive you away for your own sake."

She drew me weakly toward her and went on:

"Bend lower. Bend very near. Do you remember, Paul--in the train
going to Quebec--I lay awake all night and cried, at first for
happiness, to think you loved me, and then for shame, because I had no
right--though I did not remember who he was at the time, the shock had
been so great. That night--lying in my berth--I was shameless. I
slipped the wedding ring from my finger and hid it away so that you
should not know--because I loved you, Paul. And now that we are to
part forever, and perhaps I am to die, I can speak to you from my heart
and tell you, dear. Kiss me--as though I were your wife, Paul.

"So you will go to Leroux?" she added presently.

"Is that your will, Jacqueline?"

"Yes, dear," she said. "Because we have fought and now we are beaten,
Paul."

I bowed my head. I knew that she spoke the truth. Slowly the passions
cleared from my own heart--passion of hate, passion of love. I knew at
last that I was vanquished. For, now that Jacqueline lay there so
weak, so helpless, and thinking all our past was but a dream, there was
nothing but to yield. I could not fight any more.

Even though, by some miracle, the tunnel lay clear before us, to move
her meant her death. So I would yield, to save her life, and with me
Leroux might deal as he chose.

So I left her and climbed across the bags and went down toward the
stream.

But before I had reached it a dark figure slipped from among the
shadows of the rocks and came toward me; and by the faint starlight I
saw the face of Pierre Caribou!