She faced him trembling, leaning against the tree trunk, staring at him in impotent rage.  And the fire died out of his eyes as she looked.  He drew a deep breath or two and turned away to pick up his rifle.  When he faced about with that in his hand, the old mask of immobility was in place.  He waited while Stella gathered up her scattered hairpins and made shift to coil her hair into a semblance of Order.  Then he said gently: 

“I won’t break out like that again.”

“Once is enough.”

“More than enough—­for me,” he answered.

She disdained reply.  Striking off along the path that ran to the camp, she walked rapidly, choking a rising flood of desperate thought.  With growing coolness paradoxically there burned hotter the flame of an elemental wrath.  What right had he to lay hands on her?  Her shoulders ached, her flesh was bruised from the terrible grip of his fingers.  The very sound of his footsteps behind her was maddening.  To be suspected and watched, to be continually the target of jealous fury!  No, a thousand times, no.  She wheeled on him at last.

“I can’t stand this,” she cried.  “It’s beyond endurance.  We’re like flint and steel to each other now.  If to-day’s a sample of what we may expect, it’s better to make a clean sweep of everything.  I’ve got to get away from here and from you—­from everybody.”

Fyfe motioned her to a near-by log.

“Sit down,” said he.  “We may as well have it out here.”

For a few seconds he busied himself with a cigar, removing the band with utmost deliberation, biting the end off, applying the match, his brows puckered slightly.

“It’s very unwise of you to meet Monohan like that,” he uttered finally.

“Oh, I see,” she flashed.  “Do you suggest that I met him purposely—­by appointment?  Even if I did—­”

“That’s for you to say, Stella,” he interrupted gravely.  “I told you last night that I trusted you absolutely.  I do, so far as really vital things are concerned, but I don’t always trust your judgment.  I merely know that Monohan sneaked along shore, hid his boat, and stole through the timber to where you were sitting.  I happened to see him, and I followed him to see what he was up to, why he should take such measures to keep under cover.”

“The explanation is simple,” she answered stiffly.  “You can believe it or not, as you choose.  My being there was purely unintentional.  If I had seen him before he was close, I should certainly not have been there.  I have been at odds with myself all day, and I went for a walk, to find a quiet place where I could sit and think.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” he said.  “Only you’d better try to avoid things like that in the future.  Would you mind telling me just exactly what you meant a minute ago?  Just what you propose to do?”

He asked her that as one might make any commonplace inquiry, but his quietness did not deceive Stella.