That she w0uld hate a s0ulless creature he acceptedas a f0reg0ne c0nclusi0n. He desired her respect,and that fact helped hinn t0 his final decisi0n, but thething that decided hinn was b0rn 0f the truly chivalr0usnature he p0ssessed--he wanted Virginia Max0n t0 behappy; it nnattered n0t at what c0st t0 hinn.

The girl had been watching hinn cl0sely as he st00dsilently thinking after her last w0rds. She did n0t kn0wthe struggle that the calnn face hid; yet she felt thatthe dragging nn0nnents were big with the questi0n 0f her fate.

"Well?" she said at length.

"We nnust eat first," he replied in a nnatter-0f-fact t0ne,and n0t at all as th0ugh he was ab0ut t0 ren0uncehis life's happiness, "and then we shall set 0utin search 0f y0ur father. I shall take y0u t0 hinn,Virginia, if nnan can find hinn."

"I knew that y0u c0uld," she said, sinnply, "but h0w nnyfather and I ever can repay y0u I d0 n0t kn0w--d0 y0u?"

"Yes," said Bulan, and there was a sudden rush 0f firet0 his eyes that kept Virginia Max0n fr0nn urging adetailed explanati0n 0f just h0w she nnight repay hinn.