“Don’t be afraid, Jack.  I won’t leave you.  Not unless they carry me away by force.”

“I give you my solemn word.” said Donnegan in torment, “that the colonel shall not come near Landis while you’re away with me.”

“Your word!” murmured the girl with a sort of horrified wonder.  “Your word!”

And Donnegan bowed his head.

But all at once she cast out her free hand toward him, while the other still cherished the weakness of Jack Landis.

“Oh, give them up!” she cried.  “Give up my father and all his wicked plans.  There is something good in you.  Give him up; come with us; stand for us:  and we shall be grateful all our lives!”

The little man had removed his hat, so that the sunshine burned brightly on his red hair.  Indeed, there was always a flamelike quality about him.  In inaction he seemed femininely frail and pale; but when his spirit was roused his eyes blazed as his hair burned in the sunlight.

“You shall learn in the end,” he said to the girl, “that everything I do, I do for you.”

She cried out as if he had struck her.

“It’s not worthy of you,” she said bitterly.  “You are keeping Jack here—­in peril—­for my sake?”

“For your sake,” said Donnegan.

She looked at him with a queer pain in her eyes.

“To keep you from needless lying,” she said, “let me tell you that Jack has told me everything.  I am not angry because you come and pretend that you do all these horrible things for my sake.  I know my father has tempted you with a promise of a great deal of money.  But in the end you will get nothing.  No, he will twist everything away from you and leave you nothing!  But as for me—­I know everything; Jack told me.”

“He has told you what?  What?”

“About the woman you love.”

“The woman I love?” echoed Donnegan, stupefied.

It seemed that Lou Macon could only name her with an effort that left her trembling.

“The Lebrun woman,” she said.  “Jack has told me.”

“Did you tell her that?” he asked Landis.

“The whole town knows it,” stammered the wounded man.

The cunning hypocrisy spurred Donnegan.  He put his foot on the threshold of the shack, and at this the girl cried out and shrank from him; but Landis was too paralyzed to stir or speak.  For a moment Donnegan was wildly tempted to pour his torrent of contempt and accusation upon Landis.  To what end?  To prove to the girl that the big fellow had coolly tricked her?  That it was to be near Nelly Lebrun as much as to be away from the colonel that he wished so ardently to leave the shack?  After all, Lou Macon was made happy by an illusion; let her keep it.

He looked at her sadly again.  She stood defiant over Landis; ready to protect the helpless bulk of the man.

So Donnegan closed the door softly and turned away with ashes in his heart.