m
this morning."

"Ah!" She uttered the word upon a swift intake of breath; her startled
eyes suddenly dilated. "Where is he?" she said.

The man's huge frame stiffened at the question; she saw his hands
clench. But he kept his head turned from her; she could not see his
face. There followed a pause that seemed to her fevered imagination to
have something deadly in it. Then: "I hope he's gone where he belongs,"
said Rufus, with terrible deliberation.

Her cry of agony cut across his last word like the severing of a taut
string. She leapt to her feet, in that moment of anguish supremely
forgetful of self.

"Rufus!" she cried, and wildly gripped his arm, "You've never--left
him--to be--killed!"

She felt his muscles harden in grim resistance to her grasp. She saw
that his averted face was set like a stone mask.

"It's none of my business," he said, speaking through rigid lips.

She turned from him with a gasp of horror and sprang for the door. But
in an instant he wheeled, thrust out a great arm, and caught her. His
fingers closed upon her bare shoulder.

"Columbine!" he said.

She resisted him frantically, bending now this way, now that. But he
held her in spite of it, held her, and slowly brought her nearer to him.

"Stand still!" he said.

His voice came upon her like a blow. She flinched at the sound of
it--flinched and obeyed.

"Let me go!" she gasped out. "He--may be drowning--at this moment!"

"Let him drown!" said Rufus.

She lifted her tortured face in frenzied protest, but it died upon her
lips. For in that moment she met his eyes, and the blazing blue of them
made her feel as though spirit had been poured upon her flame, consuming
her. Words failed her utterly. She stood palpitating in his hold, not
breathing--a wild thing trapped.

Slowly he bent towards her. "Let him drown!" he said again. "Do you
think I'm going to let you throw your life away for a cur like that?"

There was uncloaked ferocity in the question. His hold was merciless.

"I saved you," he said. "It wasn't especially easy. But I did it. For
the matter of that, I'd have gone through hell for you. And do you think
I'm going to let you go again--now?"

She did not answer him. Only her lips moved stiffly, as though they
formed words she could not utter. She could not take her eyes from his,
though his looks seared her through and through.

He went on, deeply, with gathering force. "He'd have let you be swept
away. He didn't