North, she knew, was innocent; who then was guilty?
She closed her eyes and shut her lips.

That North would ultimately clear himself she never seriously doubted, and yet the burden of her secret was intolerable.

In her present mood, she was accessible to every passing influence, and to-day it was Gilmore's fate to find her both penitent and rebellious, but he could not know this, he only knew that she was quieter than usual.
He seated himself at her side, and his eyes, eager and animated, fed on her beauty.

He had come to the belief that only the lightest barriers stood between himself and Evelyn Langham, and it was a question in his mind of just how much he would be willing to sacrifice for her sake.

He boasted nothing in the way of position or reputation, and no act of his could possibly add to the disfavor in which he was already held; but to leave Mount Hope meant certain definite financial losses; this had served as a check on his ardor, for where money was concerned Gilmore was cautious.