Light broke on me suddenly.  “Do you mean, Miss Cullen,” I cried hotly, “that he’s been cad enough to force his attentions upon you by threats?”

“Yes.  First he made me endure him because he was going to help us, and from the moment the robbery was done, he has been threatening to tell.  Oh, how I have suffered!”

Then I said a very silly thing.  “Miss Cullen,” I groaned, “I’d give anything if I were only your brother.”  For the moment I really meant it.

“I haven’t dared to tell any of them,” she explained, “because I knew they would resent it and make Lord Ralles angry, and then he would tell, and so ruin papa.  It seemed such a little thing to bear for his sake, but, oh, it’s been—­suppose you despise me!”

“I never dreamed of despising you,” I said.  “I only thought, of course—­seeing what I did—­and—­that you were fond—­No—­that is—­I mean—­well—­The beast!” I couldn’t help exclaiming.

“Oh,” said Madge, blushing, and stammering breathlessly, “you mustn’t think—­there was really—­you happened to—­usually I managed to keep with papa or my brothers, or else run away, as I did when he interrupted my letter-writing—­when you thought we had—­but it was nothing of the—­I kept away just—­but the night of the robbery I forgot, and on the trail his mule blocked the path.  He never—­there really wasn’t—­you saved me the only time he—­he—­that he was really rude; and I am so grateful for it, Mr. Gordon.”

I wasn’t in a mood to enjoy even Miss Cullen’s gratitude.  Without stopping for words, I dashed into 218, and, going straight to Albert Cullen, I shook him out of a sound sleep, and before he could well understand me I was alternately swearing at him and raging at Lord Ralles.

Finally he got the truth through his head, and it was nuts to me, even in my rage, to see how his English drawl disappeared, and how quick he could be when he really became excited.

I left him hurrying into his clothes, and went to my car, for I didn’t dare to see the exodus of Lord Ralles, through fear that I couldn’t behave myself.  Albert came into 97 in a few moments to say that the Englishmen were going to the hotel as soon as dressed, the captain having elected to stay by his brother.

“I wouldn’t have believed it of Ralles.  I feel jolly cut up, you know,” he drawled.

I had been so enraged over Lord Ralles that I hadn’t stopped to reckon in what position I stood myself toward Miss Cullen, but I didn’t have to do much thinking to know that I had behaved about as badly as was possible for me.  And the worst of it was that she could not know that right through the whole I had never quite been able to think badly of her.  I went out on the platform of the station, and was lucky enough to find her there alone.

“Miss Cullen,” I said, “I’ve been ungentlemanly and suspicious, and I’m about as ashamed of myself as a man can be and not jump into the Grand Canon.  I’ve not come to you to ask your forgiveness, for I can’t forgive myself, much less expect it of you.  But I want you to know how I feel, and if there’s any reparation, apology, anything, that you’d like, I’ll—­”