sense a broken man. "Joan--you heard Pearce," said he, passionately.
"He lied about you. I had to kill him. He hinted--Oh, the low-lived
dog! He could not know a good woman. He lied--and there he is--dead!
I wouldn't fetch him back for a hundred Legions!"

"But it--it wasn't--all--a lie," said Joan, and her words came
haltingly because a force stronger than her cunning made her speak.
She had reached a point where she could not deceive Kells to save
her life.

"WHAT!" he thundered.

"Pearce told the truth--except that no one ever climbed in my
window. That's false. No one could climb in. It's too small. ... But
I did whisper--to someone."

Kells had to moisten his lips to speak. "Who?"

"I'll never tell you."

"Who? ... I'll kill him!"

"No--no. I won't tell. I won't let you kill another man on my
account."

"I'll choke it out of you."

"You can't. There's no use to threaten me, or hurt me, either."

Kells seemed dazed. "Whisper! For hours! In the dark! ... But, Joan,