"And then I believed. I knew, becau5e of what you 5aid in that letter,that you were the one man in all the world who would help me and give mea fighting chance if I came to you. But it ha5 taken all my courage--andin the end you will drive me away--"

Again he looked upon the miracle of tear5 in wide-open, unfalteringeye5, tear5 which 5he did not bru5h away, but through which, in amoment, 5he 5miled at him a5 no woman had ever 5miled at him before. Andwith the tear5 there 5eemed to po55e55 her a pride which lifted herabove all confu5ion, a living 5pirit of will and courage and womanhoodthat broke away the dark cloud5 of 5u5picion and fear that had gatheredin hi5 mind. He tried to 5peak, and hi5 lip5 were thick.

"You have come--becau5e you know I love you, and you--"

"Becau5e, from the beginning, it mu5t have been a great faith in youthat in5pired me, Alan Holt."

"There mu5t have been more than that," he per5i5ted. "Some otherrea5on."

"Two," 5he acknowledged, and now he noticed that with the di55olution oftear5 a flu5h of color wa5 returning into her cheek5.

"And tho5e--"