law like a common murderer?"

"No, no, no! Not that? I----"

Swiftly he gathered her into his arms, but she freed herself and shook
her head in protest. "Don't please," she pleaded softly. "Oh, I--I
can't choose."

"Choose!" cried Endicott. "Then there is--someone else? You have
found--" he stopped abruptly and drew a long breath. "I see," he said,
gently, "I think I understand."

The unexpected gentleness of the voice caused the girl to raise her
head. Endicott stood as he had stood a moment before, but his gaze was
upon the far mountains. The girl's eyes were wet with tears: "Yes,
I--he loves me--and he asked me to marry him. He said I would marry
either you or him, and he would wait for me to decide--until I was
sure." Her voice steadied, and Endicott noticed that it held a trace
of defensive. "He's a dear, and--I know--way down in his heart he's
good--he's----"

Endicott smiled: "Yes, little girl, he is good. He's a man--every inch
of him. And he's a man among men. He's honest and open hearted and
human. There is not a mean hair in his head. And he stands a great
deal nearer the top of his profession than I do to the top of mine. I
have been a fool, Alice. I can see now what a complacent fool and a
cad I must have been--when I could look at these men and see nothing
but uncouthness. But, thank God, men can change----"

Impulsively the girl reached for his hand: "No," she murmured,