“Every hour!” The round young arms pressed her closer.  “You won’t think of—­of leaving me.”

Mrs. Gerard shook her head slowly.  “No!  I suppose that must be part of the price.  But—­Penniless!  Friendless!  Where can we go?”

“Mr. O’Neil—­my Irish Prince,” faltered the daughter through her tears.  “Perhaps he would take us in.”

“Omar Khayyam,” said Eliza Appleton, entering O’Neil’s office briskly, “you are the general trouble man, so prepare to listen to mine.”

“Won’t the kitchen flue draw, or has a hinge come off the bungalow door?” Murray smiled.  He was harassed by endless worries, a dozen pressing matters called for his instant attention; yet he showed no trace of annoyance.  “If so, I’ll be right up and fix it.”

“The kitchen chimney has a draught that threatens to draw Dan’s salary out with the smoke every time I cook a meal, and the house is dandy.  This is a real man’s-size tribulation, so of course I run to you.  Simon Legree is at his tricks again.”

“Legree!”

The girl nodded her blond head vigorously.

“Yes!  He’s stolen Mrs. St. Claire’s slaves, and she and Little Eva are out in the cold.”

“What the deuce are you talking about?”

“Gordon, of course, and the two Gerards, Natalie and Gloria—­ ‘Town Hall, To-night.  Come one, Come all!’”

“Oh!” O’Neil’s eyes brightened.

“There have been terrible goings-on over at Hope.  I went up yesterday, in my official capacity, to reconnoiter the enemy’s position and to give him a preliminary skirmish, but the great man was sulking in his tent and sent word by a menial for me to begone or look out for the bloodhounds.  Isn’t he the haughty thing?  I don’t like to ’begone’—­I refuse to git when I’m told, so, of course, I paid my respects to Natalie and her mother.  But what do you think I found?  Mrs. St. Claire desolated, Eva dissolved in tears and her hair down.”

“Will you talk sense?”

“Just try a little nonsense, and see.  Well, the great eruption has taken place and the loss of life was terrible.  Among those buried in the cinders are the dusky-eyed heroine and her friend mother.  It seems Eva had a hand in the overseer’s exposure—­”

“Yes, yes!  It’s about those coal claims.  I knew it was coming.”

“She told her mother of the horrid treachery, and mother lugged the complaint to Gordon and placed it in his lap.  Result, confession and defiance from him.  Even the family jewels are gone.”

“Is Gordon broke?”

“He’s weltering in money, but the coal claims are lost, and he wants to know what they’re going to do about it.  The women are ruined.  He magnanimously offers them his bounty, but of course they refuse to accept it.”

“Hasn’t he made any provision for them?”