She went to her horse, mightily put out and impatient with him, as he could see, threw the reins over her pommel, as if she intended to leave him at once. She delayed mounting, suddenly putting out her hands in supplication, tears springing in her eyes. "Oh, Duke! If you knew how much it means to me," she said. "Why don't you tell me, Grace?" "Even if you stayed back there on the hills somewhere and watched them you wouldn't do it, Duke?" she appealed, evading his request. He shook his head slowly, while the thoughts within it ran like wildfire, seeking the thing that she covered. "It can't be done." "I give you my word, Duke, that if you'll do it nobody will ever lift a hand against this ranch again." "It's almost worth it," said he. She quickened at this, enlarging her guarantee. "We'll drop all of the old feud and let Vesta alone. I give you my word for all of them, and I'll see that they carry it out. You can do Vesta as big a favor as you'll be doing me, Duke." "It couldn't be done without her consent, Grace. If you want to go to her with this same proposal, putting it plainly like you have to me, I think she'll let you have the cattle, if you can show her any good reason for it." "Just as if I'd be fool enough to ask her!" "That's the only way." "Duke," said she coaxingly, "wouldn't it be worth something to you, personally, to have your troubles settled without a fight? I'll promise you nobody will ever lift a hand against you again if you'll do this for me." He started, looked at her sternly, approaching her a step. "What do you know about anything that's happened to me?" he demanded. "I don't know anything about what's happened, but I know what's due to happen if it isn't headed off." Lambert did some hard thinking for a little while, so hard that it wrenched him to the marrow. If he had had suspicion of her entire innocence in the solicitation of this unusual favor before, it had sprung in a moment into distrust. Such a quick reversion cannot take place in the sentiment without a shock. It seemed to Lambert that something valuable had been snatched away from him, and that he stood in bewilderment, unable to reach out and retrieve his loss. "Then there's no use in discussing it any more," he said, groping back, trying to answer her. "You'd do it for her!" "Not for her any quicker than for you." "I know it looks crooked to you, Duke--I don't blame you for your suspicions," she said with a frankness that seemed more like herself, he thought. She even seemed to be coming back to him in that approach. It made him glad. "Tell me all about it, Grace," he urged. She came close to him, put her arm about his neck, drew his head down as if to whisper her confidence in his ear. Her breath was on his cheek, his heart was afire in one foolish leap. She put up her lips as if to kiss him, and he, reeling in the ecstasy of his proximity to her radiant body, bent nearer to take what she seemed to offer.