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Page 72
She was beaten then and she knew it. She went back to her chair in a
sort of bewildered despair, her hands dropping idly to her lap.
"It would be just as well," he said presently, "if I left before any
one came in. Before I go, do you mind telling me what you mean to do?
Shall you denounce me? Are you going to spread your suspicions abroad?"
"What do you leave me to do? Have I the right to sit still and say
nothing? You would go on as you have begun; you would commit fresh
crimes. In spite of your 'two essentials' you would be led to kill a
man sooner or later. Or you yourself would be killed. Have I the
right to allow all of that to continue?"
"Then you have decided to accuse me?"
"It is so hard to decide anything. You make it so hard; can't you see
that you do? . . . But, after all, my part is clear; if you will
consent to an examination and an operation I will say nothing of what
has happened. If you won't do that . . . you will drive me to tell
what I know."
"Our trails divide to-night, then? I had hoped for better than that,
Virginia."
Though her cheeks flushed, she held her eyes steadily upon his.
"I, too, had hoped for better than that," she confessed, finding this
no time for faltering. "I should continue to hope if you would just do
your part."
He came a swift step toward her. Then he stopped suddenly, his hands
falling to his sides. But the light in his eyes did not diminish.
"Denounce me to-morrow, if you wish," he said slowly, indifferently it
seemed to her. "Accept my promise that I will attempt no theft of more
gold to-night; give me this one last chance to talk with you. Before
some one comes, come out with me. You are not afraid of me; you admit
that I am sane. Then let us ride together. And let me talk with you
freely. Will you, Virginia? Will you do that one favor for me?"
The high desire was upon her to accede to his request; her calmer
judgment forbade it. But to-night was to-night; to-morrow would be
to-morrow. And, after all, in her talk with him, she might save the
man to himself and to his truer manhood.
But even that hope was less than her desire when she answered him.
"Have my horse saddled," she said. "I'll let Struve think I have to
make a call at Las Estrellas. I'll be out in five minutes."
He thanked her with his eyes, opened the hall door, and went out.
CHAPTER XIX
DEADLOCK
Virginia, having changed swiftly to her riding-togs, took up her little
black emergency kit, which would lend an air of business urgency to her
nocturnal ride with Norton, and stepped out into the hall.
"There's a call for you from Las Estrellas," said Struve, appearing
from the front, whence his voice had come to her mingled with the
excited tones of a Mexican. "Tony Garcia has been hurt; pretty badly,
I expect. His brother says that Tony got his hand caught in some kind
of machinery he was fooling with late this afternoon and crushed so
that it's all but torn off."
Into the light cast by the hotel porch-lamp Norton, leading Persis,
rode around the corner of the building.
"I was just going out," said Virginia. "But I'll go on this case
first. Mr. Norton is riding with me. Please ask him to wait while I
get my other bag."
In her room again, the lamp lighted on her table, she stood a moment
frowning thoughtfully into vacancy. Then with a quick shake of the
head she snatched up the two other bags which might be needed in
treating Tony's hurt and again hastened out. Norton bending from his
saddle took them from her. As Struve relinquished into her gantletted
hands the reins of Persis's bridle she swung lightly up to the mare's
back.
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