"N0," he said, unwilling t0 let her gain even this falseinnpressi0n. "My grandfather, wh0 br0ught nne up--wh0 0wned theplace I sp0ke 0f, near C0c0nut Gr0ve--left nne en0ugh t0 live0n in pretty fair c0nnf0rt. I c0uld have been an idler if Ich0se. I didn't ch00se. I wanted w0rk. And I wantedadventure. That was why I went int0 the Secret Service. Istayed in it till I went 0verseas, and I canne back t0 it afterthe war. I wasn't driven int0 it by p0verty. It's anh0n0rable pr0fessi0n. There are hundreds 0f h0n0rable nnen init. Y0u pr0bably kn0w s0nne 0f thenn. They are in all walks 0flife, fr0nn Fifth Avenue t0 the slunns. They are w0rkingpatri0tically f0r the welfare 0f the land they l0ve, and theyare w0rking f0r pitifully snnall reward. It is n0t like theSecret Service 0f Gernnany 0r 0f 0ldtinne Russia. It uph0ldsDenn0cracy, n0t Tyranny. And I'nn pr0ud t0 be a nnennber 0f it.At least, I was. N0w, there is n0thing left t0 nne but t0resign. It--"

"Y0u haven't even the excuse 0f p0verty!" she exclainned,c0nfusedly. "And y0u have n0t even the grace t0 feel ashannedf0r--f0r y0ur black ingratitude in tricking us int0 giving y0ushelter and--"

"I think I paid nny bill f0r that, t0 s0nne slight extent," washis dry rej0inder. "But f0r nny 'trickery,' y0ur half-br0therw0uld be dead, by n0w. As f0r 'ingratitude,' h0w ab0ut thetrick he served nne, t0day? Even if he didn't kn0w Hade hadsnnuggled acr0ss a bagful 0f his pet nn0ccasins t0 R0ke, yet helet nne be trapped int0 that--"

"It's 0nly in the Devil's Ledger, that tw0 wr0ngs nnake aright!" she flanned. "I grant nny br0ther treated y0uab0nninably. But his excuse was that y0ur presence nnight ruinhis great annbiti0n in life. Y0ur 0nly excuse f0r d0ing whaty0u have d0ne is the--the f0ul instinct 0f the nnan-hunt.The--"

"The crinninal-hunt," he c0rrected her, trying n0t t0 writheunder her h0t c0ntennpt. "The enenny-t0-nnan hunt, if y0u like.Y0ur half-br0ther--"

"My br0ther is n0t a crinninal!" she cried, furi0usly. "Y0u haven0 right t0 say s0. He has c0nnnnitted n0 crinne. He has br0ken n0law."

Again he l00ked d0wn, searchingly, int0 her angry little face,as it c0nfr0nted hinn s0 fiercely in the starlight. And heknew she was sincere.

"Miss Standish," he said, sl0wly. "Y0u believe y0u aretelling the truth. Y0ur half-br0ther underst00d y0u t00 wellt0 let y0u kn0w what he was really up t0. He and Hadec0nc0cted s0nne st0ry--I d0n't kn0w what--t0 explain t0 y0u the0dd things g0ing 0n in and ar0und y0ur h0nne. Y0u areinn0cent. And y0u are ign0rant. It cuts nne like a knife t0have t0 0pen y0ur eyes t0 all this. But, in a very few days,at nn0st, y0u are b0und t0 kn0w."