Keep him off the drive. If he starts to leave this village to-day I'm
going to grab in."

She knew Crowley's obstinacy in his single-track methods. There was no
telling what he would undertake nor what damage might be wrought by his
interference. She tried to force from him his intentions; he paid no
heed to her appeals or her threats.

She was fighting for her own with all the wit and power that were in
her; she was standing in the path by which the enemies must advance,
resolved to battle as long as her strength might last, serving as best
she could to distract attention from the main fight to herself, willing
to sacrifice herself utterly.

Crowley walked with a bit of a swagger from the room, lighted a
cigarette in the office, puttered for a few moments with some old
newspapers on a table, and then went out of doors and strolled along the
road in the direction of the big house on the hill. She observed his
course from a side window. She felt the impulse to run after him and
beat her fists against that broad and stubborn back.

She saw Latisan come striding down from the Flagg mansion, determination
in his manner.

The two men met. They halted.

Her apprehension became agony, but she did not dare to interfere between
them.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Crowley, standing in front of Latisan, twisted his countenance into an
expression of deprecatory, appealing remorse.

"I have taken the liberty of apologizing to the young lady, sir! Now
that I know how matters stand, I want to beg your pardon very humbly. I
haven't meant anything wrong, but a man of my style gets cheeky without
realizing it."

Latisan had come off well in his interview with Echford Flagg. The old
man seemed to be in a chastened mood. When he had been informed of the
part the girl was playing, the master had admitted that the right kind
of a woman can influence a man to his own good.

Therefore, when the drive master strode down the hill, the radiance of
his expansive joy had cleared out all the shadows. He was willing to
meet a penitent halfway. He put out his hand frankly. Crowley held to
the hand for a moment and put his other palm upon Latisan's shoulder.
"Congratulations! I know my place, now that it has become a man-to-man
matter between us. But before--well, I'll tell you, Mr. Latisan, I had
met Miss Jones in New York in a sort of a business way and I was
probably a little fresh in trying to keep up the acquaintance."

Latisan had e