"Devoted? Well, now, I never thought I should come to _that_," said Hollis, with a grin of embarrassment, kicking the brands of the fire apart with, his boot. "Because if you weren't, I might take you into my confidence--I need some one; I want to run away from grandpa and Eve." "Oh, I dare say," said Hollis, jocularly. But his eyes happening to fall first upon Eve, then upon the judge, he grew suddenly disturbed. "Why don't you take Paul?" he suggested, still trying to be jocular. "He is a better helper than I am." "Paul is my head jailer," answered Cicely. "Grandpa and Eve are only his assistants." The judge covered his face with his hand. Hollis saw that he was suffering acutely. "Paul had better come and defend himself," he said, still clinging to his jocosity; "I am going to get him." And he started towards Paul's tent with long swinging strides, like the lope of an Indian. "Cicely," said Eve, coming to the bench, "I will take you to Romney, if that is what you want; we will start to-morrow." "Saul among the prophets!" answered Cicely, cynically. "Are you planning to escape from me with Jack, as I am planning to escape from grandpa?" "I am not planning anything; I only want to help you." Cicely looked at her. "Curiously enough, Eve, I believe you. I don't know what has changed you, but I believe you." The judge looked up; the two women held each other's hands. The judge left his seat and hurried away. He arrived at Paul's tent breathless. The hanging lamp within illuminated a rude table which held ink and paper; Paul had evidently stopped in the midst of his writing, for he still held his pen in his hand. "I was saying to Paul that he really ought to come out now and talk to the ladies, instead of crooking his back over that writing," said Hollis. But the judge waved him aside. "For God's sake, Tennant, come out, and see what you can do with Cicely! She is determined to go to that murdering brother of yours in spite of--" "Hold up, if you please, about my brother," said Paul, putting down his pen. "And Eve is abetting her;--says she will take her to-morrow." "Not Miss Bruce? What has made her change so?--confound her!" The judge had already started to lead the way back. But Hollis, who was behind, touched Paul's arm. "I say, don't confound her too much, Paul," he said, in a low tone. "She is a remarkably clever girl. And she thinks a lot of you." "Sorry for her, then," answered Paul, going out. As Hollis still kept up with him, he added, "How do you know she does?" "Because I like her myself," answered Hollis, bravely. "When you're that way, you know, you can always tell." He fell behind. Paul went on alone. When he reached the camp-fire, Cicely looked up. "Oh, you've come!" "Yes." "There are two of us now. Eve is on my side."