For a while she sat still, and then, stooping swiftly, seized the letter, which she had dropped, and rent it into fragments. Her eyes had grown hard and cruel; love of the only kind she was capable of had suddenly turned to hate. What was more, it was a hate that could be gratified. A little later, Horsfield came in, and though she was very composed now, she noticed that he looked at her in an unusual manner once or twice during the meal that followed. "You make me feel you have something on your mind," she said at length. "That's a fact," Horsfield confessed. The man was attached to and rather proud of his sister. "Well?" Horsfield leaned forward confidentially. "See here," he said, "I've always imagined that you would go far, and I'm anxious to see you do so. I wouldn't like you to throw yourself away." His sister could take a hint, but there was information she desired, and the man was speaking with unusual reserve. "Oh!" she said, with a slight show of impatience, "you must be plainer." "Then you have seen a good deal of Vane, and, in case you have any hankering after his scalp, I think I'd better mention that there's reason to believe he won't be worth powder and shot before very long." "Ah!" said Jessie, with a calmness which was difficult to assume, "you may as well understand that there is nothing between Vane and me. I suppose you mean that Howitson and Bendle are turning against him?" "Something like that," Horsfield agreed in a tone which implied that her answer had afforded him relief. "The man has trouble in front of him." Jessie changed the subject. What she had gathered from Mrs. Bendle was fully confirmed, but she had made up her mind. Evelyn's lover might wait for the warning which could save him, but he should wait in vain. CHAPTER XXVI ON THE TRAIL. It was a long, wet sail up the coast with the wind ahead, and Carroll was content, when, on reaching Comox, Vane announced his intention of stopping there until the mail came in. Immediately after its arrival, Carroll went ashore, and came back empty-handed. "Nothing," he said. "Personally, I'm pleased. Nairn could have advised us here if there had been any striking developments since we left the last place." "I wasn't expecting to hear from him," Vane replied. Carroll read keen disappointment in his face, and was not surprised, although the absence of any message meant that it was safe for them to go on with their project, which should have afforded his companion satisfaction. They got off shortly afterwards and stood out to the northwards.