“Look here,” he said, at length, to Brian, in an angry voice; “if you want my opinion of your conduct I think it’s infamous—­begging your pardon, Miss Frettlby, for the expression.  Here is this noble gill, who loves you with her whole heart, and is ready to sacrifice everything for your sake, comes to implore you to save your life, and you coolly turn round and acknowledge another woman.”

Brian lifted his head haughtily, and his face flushed.

“You are wrong,” he said, turning round sharply; “there is the woman for whose sake I keep silence;” and, rising up from the bed, he pointed to Madge, as she sobbed bitterly on it She lifted up her haggard face with an air of surprise.

“For my sake!” she cried in a startled voice.

“Oh, he’s mad,” said Calton, shrugging his shoulders; “I shall put in a defence of insanity.”

“No, I am not mad,” cried Fitzgerald, wildly, as he caught Madge in his arms.  “My darling!  My darling!  It is for your sake that I keep silence, and I shall do so though my life pays the penalty.  I could tell you where I was on that night and save myself:  but if I did, you would learn a secret which would curse your life, and I dare not speak—­I dare not.”

Madge looked up into his face with a pitiful smile as her—­tears fell fast.

“Dearest!” she said, softly.  “Do not think of me, but only of yourself; better that I should endure misery than that you should die.  I do not know what the secret can be, but if the telling of it will save your life, do not hesitate.  See,” she cried, falling on her knees, “I am at your feet—­I implore you by all the love you ever had for me, to save yourself, whatever the consequences may be to me.”

“Madge,” said Fitzgerald, as he raised her in his arms, “at one time I might have done so, but now it is too late.  There is another and stronger reason for my silence, which I have only found out since my arrest.  I know that I am closing up the one way of escape from this charge of murder, of which I am innocent; but as there is a God in heaven, I swear that I will not speak.”

There was a silence in the cell, broken only by Madge’s convulsive sobs, and even Calton, cynical man of the world as he was, felt his eyes grow wet.  Brian led Madge over to him, and placed her in his arms.

“Take her away,” he said, in a broken voice, “or I shall forget that I am a man;” and turning away he threw himself on his bed, and covered his face with his hands.  Calton did not answer him, but summoned the warder, and tried to lead Madge away.  But just as they reached the door she broke away from him, and, running back, flung herself on her lover’s breast.

“My darling!  My darling!” she sobbed, kissing him, “you shall not die.  I shall save you in spite of yourself;” and, as if afraid to trust herself longer, she ran out of the cell, followed by the barrister.

CHAPTER XIII.