She took it from him and pinned it in her dress without words. Then,
shyly, she proffered her hand. "Thank you. Good-bye!"
He drew a short hard breath as he took it into his own. For a second or
two he stood so, absolutely motionless, his great hand grasping hers.
Then, very suddenly, he stooped to her, looking into her eyes.
"Good-bye, little new chum!" he said, softly. "It was--decent of you to
treat me--without prejudice."
The words pierced her. A great tremor went through her. For an instant
the pain was almost intolerable.
"Oh, spare me that!" she said, quickly and passionately, and drew her
hand away.
The next moment she was running blindly through the passage, scarcely
knowing which way she went, intent only upon escape.
A man at the foot of the stairs stood aside for her, and she fled past
him without a glance. He turned and watched her with keen, alert eyes
till she was out of sight. Then, without haste, he took his way in the
direction whence she had come.
But he did not go beyond the threshold of the little dusty conservatory,
for something he saw within made him draw swiftly back.
When Fletcher Hill went to the court that day, he was grimmer, colder,
more unapproachable even than was his wont. He had to deal with one or
two minor cases from the gold mine, and the treatment he meted out was
of as severe an order as circumstances would permit.
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