“Haven’t I found the way to shut his mouth!” he said sharply.

“I think not.  Before your slanders could travel far we could have found Father Jose and have been married.  But let me finish.  You have practised here for upward of two years, haven’t you?  You have made money, you have a ranch of your own.  That is one thing to keep in mind.  The other is that more than one of your patients have died.  I believe, Charles Patten, that it would be a simple matter to have the district attorney convict you of murder.  That’s the second thing to remember.”

Patten shifted uneasily.  Then she knew that it had been God who had sent him.  When he sought to bluster, she cut him short.

“In the morning, as soon as there is light enough,” she said, wondering at her own calmness, “I am going to perform a capital operation upon Mr. Norton.  It will be without his knowledge and consent.  If he lives and you will give up your practice and retire to your ranch or what business pleases you, I will guarantee that he does not prosecute you for what has passed.  If he dies . . .”

“If he dies”—­he snatched the words from her—­“it will be murder!”

“. . . you would be free from prosecution,” she continued, quite as though he had made no interruption, “I rather imagine that I should die, too.  And, as you say, I would be liable for murder.  He is asleep now because I have drugged him.  I shall chloroform him before he wakes.  I should have no defense in the law-courts.  Yes, it would be murder.”

He drew a step back from her as though from one suddenly gone mad.

“What are you operating for?” he demanded.

“For your blunder,” she said simply.  “And you are going to help me.”

“Am I?” he jeered.  “Not by a damned sight!  If you think that I am going to let myself in for that sort of thing . . .”

Until now he had not seen the gun in her hand.  Her quick gesture showed it to him.

“Charles Patten,” she told him emphatically, “I am risking Mr. Norton’s life; I am therefore risking my own.  Understand what that means.  Understand just what you have got to win or lose by to-night’s work.  Consider that I pledge you my word not to implicate you in what you do; that if worse came to worse, you could claim and I would admit that you were forced at the point of a gun to do as I told you.  Oh, I can shoot straight!  And finally, I will shoot straight, as God watches me, rather than let you go now and stop what I have undertaken!  Think of it well, Charles Patten!”

Patten, being as weak of mind as he was pudgy of hand, having besides that peculiar form of craft which is vouchsafed his type, furthermore more or less of a coward, saw matters quite as Virginia wished him.  Together they awaited the coming of the dawn.  The girl, realizing to the uttermost what lay before her, forced herself to rest, lying still under the stars, schooling herself to the steady-nerved action which was to have its supreme test.