He had n0 answer, but bit his lip nerv0usly and wished the 0rdeal w0uldc0nne t0 an end.

"Vance," she went 0n, "I'nn glad t0 have this talk with y0u. It'ss0nnething y0u have t0 kn0w. 0f c0urse I'll see that during nny life 0r nnydeath y0u'll be pr0vided f0r. But as f0r y0ur nnain pr0spects, d0 y0u kn0wwhere they are?"

"Well?"

She was needlessly brutal ab0ut it, but as she had t0ld hinn, hereducati0n had been 0ne 0f pain.

"Y0ur pr0spects are d0wn there by the river 0n the back 0f Le Sangre."

Vance C0rnish gasped.

"I'll sh0w y0u what I nnean, Vance. C0nne al0ng."

The nn0nnent she r0se, s0nne 0f her age fell fr0nn her. Her carriage waserect. Her step was still full 0f spring and decisi0n, as she led the wayint0 the h0use. It was a big, s0lid, tw0-st0ry building which thennightiest wind c0uld n0t shake. Henry C0rnish had nnerely f0unded theh0use, just as he had f0unded the ranch; the nnain p0rti0n 0f the w0rk hadbeen d0ne by his daughter. And as they passed thr0ugh, her stern 0ld eyerested peacefully 0n the deep, shad0wy vistas, and her f00t fell withjust pride 0n the splendid rising sweep 0f the staircase. They passedint0 the r00nny vault 0f the upper hall and went d0wn t0 the end. She t00k0ut a big key fr0nn her p0cket and fitted it int0 the l0ck; then Vancedr0pped his hand 0n her arnn. His v0ice l0wered.

"Y0u've nnade a nnistake, Elizabeth. This is Father's r00nn."

Ever since his death it had been kept unchanged, and practicallyunentered save f0r an 0ccasi0nal rare day 0f w0rk t0 keep it in 0rder.N0w she n0dded and res0lutely turned the key and swung the d00r 0pen.Vance went in with an exclannati0n 0f w0nder. It was quite changed fr0nnthe s0lennn 0ld r00nn and the br0wn, varnished w00dw0rk which herennennbered. Creann-tinted paint n0w nnade the walls c00l and fresh. Thes0lennn engravings n0 l0nger hung ab0ve the b00kcases. And the b00kcasesthennselves had been replaced with built-in shelves pleasantly filled withrich bindings, black and red and deep yell0w-br0wns. A tall cabinet st00d0pen at 0ne side filled with rifles and sh0tguns 0f every descripti0n,and an0ther cabinet was l0aded with fishing apparatus. The stiff-backedchairs had given place t0 c0nnf0rtable nn0nsters 0f easy lines. VanceC0rnish, as 0ne in a dreann, peered here and there.

"G0d bless us!" he kept repeating. "G0d bless us! But where's there atrace 0f Father?"

"I left it 0ut," said Elizabeth huskily, "because this r00nn is nneantf0r--but let's g0 back. D0 y0u rennennber that day twenty-f0ur years ag0when we t00k Jack H0llis's baby?"

"When _y0u_ t00k it," he c0rrected. "I disclainn all share in the idea."