"Lord Farquhar and Captain Kilmeny came back a couple of hours ago," she said by way of engaging him in talk. "Any luck?" he asked morosely and with obvious indifference. "A deer apiece and a bear for the captain." "That fellow Kilmeny outwitted us, after all," he broke out abruptly. "We've been had, by Jove! Must have been what Bleyer calls a plant." "I don't understand." "The rock we took from him was refuse stuff--not worth a dollar." The girl's eyes gleamed. "Your gold mine was salted, then." "Not even salted. He had gathered the stuff from some old dump." "He must have profited by my warning, after all," Moya said quietly. The little man's eyes narrowed. "Eh? How's that? Did you say your warning?" In spite of herself she felt a sense of error at having played the traitor to her host. "Sorry. I didn't like to do it, but----" "What is it you did?" he asked bluntly. "I told Mr. Kilmeny that his plan was discovered." "You--told him." He subdued his anger for the moment. "If it isn't asking too much--how did you know anything about it?" She felt herself flushing with shame, but she answered lightly enough. "You shouldn't discuss secrets so near the breakfast-room, Mr. Verinder." "I see. You listened ... and then you ran to your friend, the highgrader, with the news. That was good of you, Miss Dwight. I appreciate it--under the circumstances." She knew he referred to the fact that she was his guest. To hear him put into words his interpretation of the thing she had done, with implications of voice and manner that were hateful, moved her to a disgust that included both him and herself. "Thank you, Mr. Verinder--for all the kind things you mean and can't say." She turned on her heel and walked to the end of the veranda. After a moment's thought he followed her. "Have I said a word too much, Miss Dwight? You did listen to a private conversation you weren't meant to hear, didn't you? And you ran to your friend with it? If I'm wrong, please correct me." "I daresay you're right. We'll let it go at that, if you please." Verinder was irritated. Clearly in the right, he had allowed her to put him in the wrong. "I'll withdraw listened, Miss Dwight. Shall we substitute overheard?" Her angry eyes flashed into his cold, hard ones. "What would you expect me to do? You know what he did for Joyce and me. And he is Captain Kilmeny's cousin. Could I let him go to prison without giving even a warning?" "Evidently not. So you sacrifice me for him." "You think I wasn't justified?" "You'll have to settle that with your conscience," he said coldly. "Don't think _I_ would have been justified in your place." "You would have let him go to prison--the man who had fought for you against odds?" "Does that alter the fact that he is a thief?" Verinder demanded angrily. "It alters my relation to the fact--and it ought to alter yours. He did a great service to the woman you are engaged to marry. Does that mean nothing to you?"