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“Kill him–kill him,” she repeated gaspingly to herself.

“You see he was exhausted; he may sleep for hours yet. Yes, he is safe, I think.”

“But Jen, she suspects something, she–“

“Hush!” said Pretty Pierre. He saw her standing near. She had glided forward and stood with flashing eyes turned, now upon the one, and now upon the other. Finally they rested on Galbraith.

“Tell me what you have done to him; what you and Pretty Pierre have done to him. You have some secret. I will know.” She leaned forward, something of the tigress in the poise of her body. “I tell you, I will know.” Her voice was low, and vibrated with fierceness and determination. Her eyes glowed, and her nostrils trembled with disdain and indignation. As they drew back,–the old man sullenly, the gambler with a slight gesture of impatience,–she came a step nearer to them and waited, the cords of her shapely throat swelling with excitement. A moment so, and then she said in a tone that suggested menace, determination:

“You have poisoned him. Tell me the truth. Do you hear, father–the truth, or I will hate you. I will make you repent it till you die.”

“But–” Pierre began.

She interrupted him. “Do not speak, Pretty Pierre. You are a devil. You will lie. Father–!” She waited. “What difference does it make to you, Jen?” “What difference–what difference to me? That you should be a murderer?”

“But that is not so, that is a dream of yours, Ma’m’selle,” said Pierre.

She turned to her father again. “Father, will you tell the truth to me? I warn you it will be better for you both.”

The old man’s brow was sullen, and his lips were twitching nervously. “You care more for him than you do for your own flesh and blood, Jen. There’s nothing to get mad about like that. I’ll tell you when he’s gone. … Let’s–let’s wake him,” he added, nervously.

He stooped down and lifted the sleeping man to a sitting posture. Pierre assisted him.

Jen saw that the half-breed believed Sergeant Tom could be wakened, and her fear diminished slightly, if her indignation did not. They lifted the soldier to his feet. Pierre pressed the point of a pin deep into his arm. Jen started forward, woman-like, to check the action, but drew back, for she saw heroic measures might be necessary to bring him to consciousness. But, nevertheless, her anger broke bounds, and she said: “Cowards–cowards! What spite made you do this?”

“Damnation, Jen,” said the father, “you’ll hector me till I make you sorry. What’s this Irish policeman to you? What’s he beside your own flesh and blood, I say again.”

“Why does my own flesh and blood do such wicked tricks to an Irish soldier? Why does it give poison to an Irish soldier?”

“Poison, Jen? You needn’t speak so ghost-like. It was only a dose of laudanum; not enough to kill him. Ask Pierre.”

Inwardly she believed him, and said a Thank-God to herself, but to the half-breed she remarked: “Yes, ask Pierre–you are behind all this! It is some evil scheme of yours. Why did you do it? Tell the truth for once.” Her eyes swam angrily with Pierre’s.

Pierre was complacent; he admired her wild attacks. He smiled, and replied: “My dear, it was a whim of mine; but you need not tell him, all the same, when he wakes. You see this is your father’s house, though the whim is mine. But look: he is waking-the pin is good. Some cold water, quick!”

The cold water was brought and dashed into the face of the soldier. He showed signs of returning consciousness. The effect of the laudanum had been intensified by the thoroughly exhausted condition of the body.

But the man was perfectly healthy, and this helped to resist the danger of a fatal result.

Pierre kept up an intermittent speech. “Yes, it was a mere whim of mine. Eh, he will think he has been an ass to sleep so long, and on duty, and orders to carry to Archangel’s Rise!” Here he showed his teeth again, white and regular like a dog’s. That was the impression they gave, his lips were so red, and the contrast was so great. One almost expected to find that the roof of his mouth was black, like that of a well-bred hound; but there is no evidence available on the point.