Spike’s voice failed and he was silent again, plucking nervously at the sheet, while Hermione’s proud head drooped and her hands clasped and wrung each other in an agony of shame; but to these painfully rigid hands came another hand, big and strong yet very gentle, at whose soothing touch those agonised fingers grew lax and soft, then clung to that strong hand in sudden, eager passion.

“Poor old Spike!” said Ravenslee, and his tone was as gentle as his touch.

“But—­but, Geoff,” stammered the boy.  “I—­oh, don’t you see?  I meant to—­kill you?”

“Yes, I understand; you thought I deserved it—­why?”

“Oh, I was crazy, I guess!  Bud told me lies—­an’ I believed him—­lies about you an’ Hermy—­he said—­you’d make Hermy go—­the same road—­little Maggie Finlay went—­so I came t’ kill you—­”

“Spike, if you believed that, if you really believed that, I don’t blame you for trying a shot—­”

“But I didn’t—­I couldn’t!  When I saw you sittin’ there so unsuspectin’, I just couldn’t do it—­I tried to, but I couldn’t.  An’ somehow I dropped th’ gun, an’ then I heard a shot, an’ when I looked up I saw you throw out your arms an’ fall—­my God, I’ll never forget that!  Then I saw Bud starin’ down at you an’ th’ pistol smokin’ in his hand.  I meant t’ do it but I couldn’t, so Bud did it himself.  I’m as bad as him, I reckon, but it was Bud shot you—­Soapy saw him an’ knows it was Bud—­ask Soapy.  An’ now I’ve told you all; I guess I ain’t fit t’ stay here any longer.”

Spike’s voice choked upon a sob, he buried his face in the pillow, and so there fell a silence—­a strange, tense hush, a pause so unexpected that he looked up and saw that Hermione’s head was bowed no longer, but she stood, very proud and tall, gazing upon her husband, and in her eyes was a great and wondrous light; and as she looked on him so he gazed on her.  They had no thought, no eyes for Spike just then, wherefore he hid his face again.

“I guess this about puts the kybosh on th’ brother business!” he sighed miserably, “an’ I sure ain’t fit t’ be th’ Spider’s pal, I reckon!”

But now the Spider spoke, rather quick and jerkily: 

“Say, Kid—­get onto this!  I’m takin’ back—­everything I says t’ you t’day, see?  Because, oh, well—­I guess you’ve sure woke up at last!  So, Kid—­give us your mitt!”

Eagerly Spike grasped the Spider’s big fist, and they shook hands gravely and very deliberately, looking into each other’s eyes the while.  Then, still quick and jerkily, the Spider turned and hurried out of the room.  Then Spike turned to Ravenslee.

“Geoff,” he sighed, “I’m not goin’ to ask you to forgive me yet, I can’t—­I’m goin’ t’ wait an’ show you—­”

But as he paused Ravenslee’s hand was upon the lad’s drooping shoulder.

“Arthur,” said he, “from now on—­from to-night—­you are going to be my brother more than ever—­a brother we shall both be proud of—­what do you say?”