“No!” he lied bravely, sickening at the jagged marks, where the blood oozed. “Come here! Where can I get some water?” but as he spoke his quick eye caught a can standing at the head of the stairs, ready to fill the morning baths. “Kneel down, and don’t be frightened, please,” he said gently. “If there is any poison I’ll get it out.” Half-mad with disgust, she did not realize what he meant to do till she felt his lips on her neck. He was sucking the poison from the wound! At first she nearly flung him from her, and then she buried her face in her hands. There was no one else. Beryl she could not let do it, and Salome was black. But Andria was whiter than marble and cold from head to foot. When the sickening business was done, as she rose from her knees she staggered. “I ought to thank you,” but she did not look at him. “You----” “I’m not fit to black your shoes,” he cut her short, with a queer sound in his voice. “For God’s sake, Mrs. Erle, forgive me if you can. I thought you were on Egerton’s side, and in his pay to get rid of the girl. And I’ve just seen you ready to chuck your life away for her.” “I’m not what you think me. I never was.” She put her hand to her throat and cried out at the pain of the bruised flesh she touched. “I think you are a good woman,” said Heriot, “and the bravest on God’s earth. I can’t forgive myself. Do you know, it was I let that brute in?” From very weakness the tears came in her eyes as he told her how; yet spoke up bravely. “I don’t care. I’m not frightened of the bite if you trust me now. You’ve seen--you must believe me!” Heriot looked at her, pale and wild in her torn dressing-gown, her beautiful face ghastly. This was the woman he had dared to judge; and she had dared to risk her life for the very girl he had thought she meant to betray. And it was he who had really caused that wound that bled still. He could have gone on his knees in his shame and humiliation. “Come,” he said quietly, “get the others to let you in, and go to bed.” “I can’t sleep;” she shook like a leaf, but she followed him. Salome got the door open in what seemed an endless time, as Andria stood outside with chattering teeth. “Miss Holbeach!” the woman cried wildly, “it’s daylight! An’ I heard de engines in de bay. De ship’s got back!” she ran past Andria to the top of the house. The world lay quiet in the hour of daybreak, and Egerton’s yacht lay at anchor in the gray wanness of the calm water. CHAPTER XX. AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL. “‘Bone of thy bone,’ said God to Adam. ‘Core of my core,’ say I to thee.” “You’re sure, Salome?” Andria cried. Too stiff and weary to move, only her eyes looked alive in her pale face. “It’s de boat, it mayn’t be him. Oh, my land, Miss Holbeach, dey’s blood on you dress! He’ll kill me. Honey, let ole Salome see! Whata done got yer?” But Heriot saw she knew.