With her eyes filled with tears, but a smile on her lips, radiant with new-found happiness, she told him how she had overheard the plans of Dunn and Brace, how she had stolen their conveyance to warn him in time.

But here she stopped, dreading to say a word that would shatter the hope she was building upon his sudden revulsion of feeling for Nellie.

She could not bring herself to repeat their interview--that would come later, when they were safe and out of danger; now not even the secret of his birth must come between them with its distraction, to mar their perfect communion.

She faltered that Dunn had fainted from weakness, and that she had dragged him out of danger.

"He will never interfere with us--I mean," she said softly, "with _me_ again.