“No! there’s nothing to be afraid of now--is there?” she laughed hysterically, and suddenly stopped with a suppressed scream. “My darling!” he exclaimed. “Listen! Listen! My God, what’s that?” “It’s nothing dear.” “It is! Listen! I hear them coming!” “Impossible, my child, we’re all here!” he laughed. “How could you guess there was anyone coming except you and me?” “Oh, dear, you don’t understand, and I can’t explain!” she went on frantically. She looked at her watch and couldn’t see. “Quick, strike a match and see what time it is--we can get away!” she whispered. He struck the match and saw her eyes gleaming with a strange madness. Stella blew the match out, seized his arm and drew him from the window. “Not there--by the window--over here in this corner.” “He struck another match and she masked its light from the window, staring with wide-set eyes at the hands of her watch. “It’s half past nine. It’s too late!” she said hopelessly. “Come, come, my darling, remember that I am by your side--nothing can harm you except the tongue of gossip, and you’ve shown your contempt for that. Sit down here again in the moonlight and let me tell you the story of my love.” He led her back to the window and she sank tremblingly by his side. “I’ve never had the chance to tell you,” he began, with low passionate tenderness, “what a wonderful thing your love has been in my life. The night I met you, I went to your house drunk, with murder in my heart, determined to use the lawless power I wielded to crush your father. I was about to leave with a threat to kill him on my lips. It was no idle threat then. I had entered the vault, pushed open its massive door, stepped inside and saw the way was open.” “The night you came first, you entered alone the secret way?” she interrupted. “Yes, I meant to use it if necessary.” “But you never did! You never did!” she whispered. “How could I, dearest! I saw your face that night for the first time, heard the low music of your voice, touched your hand, and I was a new man! Love, not hate, has ruled me since. I disbanded the Klan immediately and ordered my men never again to use its power.” “Disbanded the Klan!” she repeated with choking surprise. “Yes, and a dastard reorganised it as a local order to further his low ambitions. I’ve done my best to hold in check their crimes and follies. I warned your father of danger the night those fools came. In a madness of love, fear and jealous rage I came down to the house, sat there in dumb pain and watched your beautiful form whirl past the lighted window until I could endure it no longer.” Stella strangled a sob. “I’ve reproached myself a hundred times I didn’t prevent that masquerade by force. I might have done it. I had some faithful old soldiers from the foothills in town that day whom I had used to capture the scoundrels who committed the outrage on old Nicaroshinski.” “Hush! hush! before I scream!” Stella cried in anguish, placing her hand on his lips.