desperate change of heart to run away from such a girl, after what he
told me of his feelings this morning."

He talked on, allowing her to recover. "Your words have been tumbling
along like logs coming down the Hulling Machine Falls, but I reckon I
understand that a detective agency sent you up here to Delilah my
Samson. I've just been reading about that case in the Old Testament. And
you're sorry, eh? It's a start in the right direction--being sorry. He
told me this morning that he was going back to the drive in spite of
me--he said it was because you had torched him on to do so. I'll admit I
haven't got over being thankful to you for that help. And now it's all
tipped upside down, eh? I'm not surprised. It's the Latisan nature to
blow up! I knew his grandfather well--and I remember! We seem to have
made a bad mess of it, you and I. I'll own to it that I haven't been
careful in the management of my tongue where he's concerned. If I had,
all the girls this side o' Tophet couldn't have made him jump his job in
this style. You see, I'm willing to admit my mistake, and that makes me
feel kinder toward you, now that you admit yours."

Her courage was coming back to her. Only a veritable frenzy of despair
had forced her into the presence of that old man who had declared his
unalterable hostility to her and hers. She found him singularly and
surprisingly mild in this crisis. Wreathed in the tobacco smoke, his
countenance was full of sympathy. It was an amazing alteration in
Echford Flagg, so those who knew him would have stated, had they been
there to behold.

"I suppose you have to slap on a lot of deceit in that detective
business."

"I'm done with deceit. I've left that work forever."

"So I reckoned whilst I looked at you and heard you talk. I've got quite
an eye for a change of heart in persons. I hate to see young folks in
trouble. 'Most always I'm pretty hard on people. I've grown to be that
way. Had good reasons! But you seem to have caught me to-day in a
different frame of mind. I didn't get a good look at you last evening.
I've just been telling myself that you remind me very much of somebody I
used to know. There was a time," he went on, wrinkling his forehead,
"when I would have ordered you out of this house, simply on your looks.
But to-day, somehow, I like to keep my eyes on you. Old age has a lot of
whims, you know."

She did not venture to speak. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"It's too bad, s