"The mad fool!" she cried, clinching her white jeweled hands together. "Why does he follow me here? What shall I do? I must buy him off at any cost. I dare not defy him. Better temporize with him." She muttered the words aloud, and she was shocked to see how changed and hoarse her own voice sounded. "Women have faced more deadly peril than this," she muttered, "and cleverly outwitted ingenious foes. I _must_ win by stratagem." She quickly followed the tall figure down the path that divided the little garden from the shrubbery. "I knew you would not refuse me, Pluma," he said, clasping her hands and kissing her cold lips. He noticed the glance she gave him had nothing in it but coldness and annoyance. "You do not tell me you are pleased to see me, Pluma, and yet you have promised to be my wife." She stood perfectly still leaning against an oleander-tree. "Why don't you speak to me, Pluma?" he cried. "By Heaven! I am almost beginning to mistrust you. You remember your promise," he said, hurriedly--"if I removed the overseer's niece from your path you were to reward me with your heart and hand." She would have interrupted him, but he silenced her with a gesture. "You said your love for Rex had turned to bitter hatred. You found he loved the girl, and that would be a glorious revenge. I did not have to resort to abducting her from the seminary as we had planned. The bird flew into my grasp. I would have placed her in the asylum you selected, but she eluded me by leaping into the pit. I have been haunted by her face night and day ever since. I see her face in crowds, in the depths of the silent forest, her specter appears before me until I fly from it like one accursed." She could not stay the passionate torrent of his words. "Lester, this is all a mistake," she said; "you have not given me a chance to speak." Her hands dropped nervously by her side. There were fierce, rebellious thoughts in her heart, but she dare not give them utterance. "What have I done to deserve all this?" she asked, trying to assume a tender tone she was far from feeling. "What have you done?" he cried, hoarsely. "Why, I left you at Whitestone Hall, feeling secure in the belief that I had won you. Returning suddenly and unexpectedly, I found you had gone to Florida, to the home of Rex Lyon. Do you know what I would have done, Pluma, if I had found you his wife and false to your trust?" "You forget yourself, Lester," she said; "gentlemen never threaten women." He bit his lip angrily. "There are extreme cases of desperation," he made reply. "You must keep your promise," he said, determinedly. "No other man must dare speak to you of love." She saw the angry light flame into his eyes, and trembled under her studied composure; yet not the quiver of an eyelid betrayed her emotion. She had not meant to quarrel with him; for once in her life she forgot her prudence.