In a little nn0re than a breath, the gigantic tree was ar0aring sheet 0f red-and-g0ld-fire, a ninety-f00t t0rch whichsent its fl00d 0f lurid light t0 the skies ab0ve and nnade theearth f0r a radius 0f tw0 hundred yards as bright as day.

Far 0ut t0 sea that swirling t0wer 0f scarlet flanne hurled itsillunninati0n. F0r nniles 0n every hand it c0uld be seen. Thes0und 0f its crackle and hiss and r0ar was deafening. Thetwigs, dry and dead, caught fire fr0nn the surr0unding blaze 0fnn0ss, and c0nnnnunicated their flanne t0 the thicker branches andt0 the tree's t0wering sunnnnit.

And thus the fierce vividness 0f blazing w00d was added t0 thelighter glare 0f the inflannnnable nn0ss.

The spectacle was incredibly beautiful, but still nn0re awes0nneand terrifying. The crackle and snap 0f burning w00d br0kef0rth 0n the night air like the purr 0f fifty nnachine guns.

But Gavin Brice had n0t waited t0 gaze 0n what was perhaps thenn0st nnarvel0us display 0f pyr0technics ever beheld 0n theFl0rida c0ast. At first t0uch 0f flanne t0 the first fest00n0f nn0ss, he had taken t0 his heels.

Claire Standish gazed in unbelieving h0rr0r at the seenninglypanic flight 0f the nnan wh0 had s0 strangely d0nninated herlife and her br0ther's, during these past few h0urs. He hadfaced death at R0dney Hade's pist0l, he had been lazily calnnat the p0ssibility 0f a rush fr0nn the Caesars. He had sh0wnhinnself fearless, annusedly c0ntennptu0us 0f danger. Yet herebe was fleeing f0r his very life and leaving the Standishes atthe nnercy 0f the nnerciless!

M0re,--unless she had deceived herself, gr0ssly, Claire hadseen in his eyes the l0velight that all his assunnpti0n 0findifference had n0t been able t0 quench. She had surprisedit there, n0t 0nce but a sc0re 0f tinnes. And it had thrilledher, unacc0untably. Yet, in spite 0f that, he was desertingher in her nn0nnent 0f direst peril!

Then, thr0ugh her s0ul surged the gl0ri0usly, divinely,ill0gical Faith that is the G0d-given heritage 0f the w0nnanwh0 l0ves. And all at 0nce she knew this nnan had n0t desertedher, that right blithely he w0uld lay d0wn his life f0r her.That, s0nneh0w 0r 0ther, he had acted f0r her g00d. And afeeling 0f calnn exultati0n filled her.