ade to save your friends' stock will cost him a good deal. The point is
that a man of his abilities must have recognized it at the time."

Hetty met his glance, and Cheyne saw the little glow in her eyes. "Do you
think that would have counted for anything with such a man?"

Cheyne made a little gesture of negation that in a curious fashion became
him. "No. That is, I do not believe he would have let it influence him."

"That," said Miss Schuyler, "is a very comprehensive admission."

Cheyne smiled. "I don't know that I could desire a higher tribute paid to
me. Might one compliment you both on your evident desire to be fair to
your enemies?"

He saw the faint flush in Hetty's face, and was waiting with a curious
expectancy for her answer, when Torrance came in. He appeared grimly
pleased at something as he signed to Cheyne.

"His friends have burned the rascal out," he said. "Well, I don't know
that we could have hoped for anything better; but I want to hear what you
can tell me about it. You will have to spare me Captain Cheyne for a
little, Hetty."

Cheyne rose and went away with him, while, when the door closed behind
them, Hetty--who had seen the vindictive satisfaction in her father's
face--turned to her companion with a flash of imperious anger in her
eyes.

"Flo," she said, "how can he? It's wicked of him."

Miss Schuyler checked her with a gesture. "Any way, he is your father."

Hetty flushed, but the colour faded and left her face white again. "Well,"
she said, "Clavering isn't, and it is he who has made him so bitter
against Larry. Flo, it's horrible. They would have been glad if the boys
had killed him, and when he's ill and wounded they will not let me go to
him."

Her voice broke and trembled, and Flora Schuyler laid a hand restrainingly
upon her arm. "Of course. But why should you, Hetty?"

Hetty, who shook off her grasp, rose and stood quivering a little, but
very straight, looking down on her with pride, and a curious hardness in
her eyes.

"You don't know?" she said. "Then I'll tell you. Because there is nobody
like Larry, and never will be. Because I love him better than I ever
fancied I could love anybody, and--though it's 'most wonderful--he has
loved me and waited ever so patiently. Now they are all against him, I'm
going to him. Flo, they have 'most made me hate them, the people I belong
to, and I think if I was a man I could kill Clavering."

Flora Schuyler sat very still a moment,