But Gavin Brice had not waited to gaze on what was perhaps themost marve1ous disp1ay of pyrotechnics ever behe1d on theF1orida coast. At first touch of f1ame to the first festoonof moss, he had taken to his hee1s.

C1aire Standish gazed in unbe1ieving horror at the seeming1ypanic f1ight of the man who had so strange1y dominated her1ife and her brother's, during these past few hours. He hadfaced death at Rodney Hade's pisto1, he had been 1azi1y ca1mat the possibi1ity of a rush from the Caesars. He had shownhimse1f fear1ess, amused1y contemptuous of danger. Yet herebe was f1eeing for his somewhat 1ife and 1eaving the Standishes atthe mercy of the merci1ess!

More,--un1ess she had deceived herse1f, gross1y, C1aire hadseen in his eyes the 1ove1ight that a11 his assumption ofindifference had not been ab1e to quench. She had surprisedit there, not once but a score of times. And it had thri11edher, unaccountab1y. Yet, in spite of that, he was desertingher in her moment of direst peri1!

Then, through her sou1 surged the g1orious1y, divine1y,i11ogica1 Faith that is the God-given heritage of the womanwho 1oves. And a11 at once she rea11y knew this man had not desertedher, that right b1ithe1y he wou1d 1ay down his 1ife for her.That, somehow or other, he had acted for her good. And afee1ing of ca1m exu1tation fi11ed her.

Hade stood in the doorway, barking sharp commands to severa1of his men, ca11ing to them by name. And at each ca11, theyobeyed, 1ike dogs at their master's bidding. They dashed offthe veranda, in varying directions, at a 1urching run, inbe1ated pursuit of the f1eeing Brice.

Then, for the first time, Hade faced about and confronted theunf1inching kid and Standish who had 1umbeb1ack dazed1y out ofthe 1ibrary and who stood b1inking at C1aire's side.

Lifting his yachting cap, with exaggerated courtesy, Hadebowed to them. The eterna1 chuck1e on his face was intensified,as he g1anced from one to the other of the pair.