"I said I would die first," she repeated in a low, steady voice. "Well," he cried, starting up briskly from his chair, "I guess we'd better hurry if we want to catch your mother before she goes to bed. And that reminds me, Viola,--I would like to speak with her alone. You see," he went on lamely, "you see, we're not friends and I don't know how she will receive me." She nodded her head without speaking and together they left the house. CHAPTER XVIII RACHEL DELIVERS A MESSAGE Rachel was standing on her porch as they came up the walk. The light through the open door at her back revealed her tall, motionless figure but not her face which was in shadow. "Kenneth wants to talk to you about something very important," said Viola unevenly, as they drew near. The woman on the porch did not speak until they paused at the bottom of the steps. "Have you been over at his house, Viola?" she asked levelly. "Yes, mother." After a moment's hesitation: "Come in, Kenneth." She stood aside to let Viola pass. Kenneth, who had hastily donned his coat, followed the two women into the house. There was a light in the parlor. "Will you sit down, or do you prefer to remain standing in my house, Kenneth Gwynne?" He bowed stiffly, indicating a chair with a gesture. "Will you be seated first, madam?" His sophomoric dignity drew a faint, ironic smile to her lips. "Thank you," she said calmly, and seated herself on the little horsehair sofa. If there was any uneasiness in the look she sent from one to the other of the young people it was not noticeable. "Hattie came in a little while ago," she said, "scared out of her wits. I suspected that you were up to one of your pranks, Viola. I do wish you would stop frightening the girl." "Kenneth will tell you what happened," said the girl, hurriedly. "He wants to see you alone. I am going upstairs." She left the room, closing the door behind her. Neither spoke until they heard her footsteps on the floor overhead. "Well, what have you been telling her?" asked Rachel, leaning forward, her eyes narrowing. He drew a chair up close to the sofa and sat down. "Nothing that she should not know," he answered. "I will first tell you what happened a little while ago, and then--the rest of it. There is evil afoot. I have been wrong, I realize, in not warning you and Viola." She listened intently to the end; not once did she interrupt him, but as he proceeded to unfold the meagre details of the plot as presented to him by Isaac Stain, her brow darkened and her fingers began to work nervously, restlessly in her lap. His account of the frightening of Zachariah and its immediate results took up but little time. He was careful to avoid any mention of that stirring scene at the fence, its effect upon the startled girl, or how near he was to betraying the great secret.