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"I'm a-tellin' you, man," he was saying, "that there wan't nothin' else to be done,

an' I'm a-gettin' damn sick o' hearin' you finding fault all the time with the way I

been a-runnin' o' this little job."

"I'm not finding fault, Simms," returned another voice which the girl recognized

immediately as Divine's; "although I do think that it was a mistake to so totally

disable the Lotus as you did. Why, how on earth are we ever to return to

civilization if that boat is lost? Had she been simply damaged a little, in a way

that they could themselves have fixed up, the delay would have been sufficient to

permit us to escape, and then, when Miss Harding was returned in safety to her

father, after our marriage, they would have been so glad to be reunited that he

easily could have been persuaded to drop the matter. Then another thing; you

intended to demand a ransom for both Miss Harding and myself, to carry out the

fiction of my having been stolen also--how can you do that if Mr. Harding be

dead? And do you suppose for a moment that Miss Harding will leave a single

stone unturned to bring the guilty to justice if any harm has befallen her father or

his guests? If so you do not know her as well as I."

The girl turned away from the partition, her face white and drawn, her eyes

inexpressibly sad. She rose to her feet, facing Theriere.

"I have heard quite enough, thank you, Mr. Theriere," she said.

"You are convinced then that I am your friend?" he asked.

"I am convinced that Mr. Divine is not," she replied non-committally.

She took a step toward the door. Theriere stood looking at her. She was

unquestionably very good to look at. He could not remember ever having seen a

more beautiful girl. A great desire to seize her in his arms swept over the man.

Theriere had not often made any effort to harness his desires. What he wanted it

had been his custom to take--by force if necessary. He took a step toward

Barbara Harding. There was a sudden light in his eyes that the girl had not

before seen there, and she reached quickly toward the knob of the door.

Theriere was upon her, and then, quickly, he mastered himself, for he recalled his

coolly thought-out plan based on what Divine had told him of that clause in the

will of the girl's departed grandparent which stipulated that the man who shared

the bequest with her must be the choice of both herself and her father. He could

afford to bide his time, and play the chivalrous protector before he essayed the

role of lover.

Barbara had turned a half-frightened look toward him as he advanced--in doubt

as to his intentions.

The Mucker