"You are," he answered bluntly. "You are the most beautiful woman they have
ever seen."

His eyes encountered hers as he spoke. He had answered her question fairly.
There was nothing that was audacious in his manner or his look. She had
asked for information, and he had given it. In spite of herself the girl's
lips trembled. Her colour deepened. She smiled.

"Pardon me," she entreated. "I seldom feel like laughing, but I almost do
now. I have encountered so many curious people and have heard so many
curious things during the past twenty-four hours. You don't believe in
concealing your thoughts out here in the wilderness, do you?"

"I haven't expressed _my_ thoughts," he corrected. "I was telling you what
_they_ think."

"Oh-h-h--I beg your pardon again!"

"Not at all," he answered lightly, and now his eyes were laughing frankly
into her own. "I don't mind informing you," he went on, "that I am the
biggest curiosity you will meet between this side of the mountains and the
sea. I am not accustomed to championing women. I allow them to pursue their
own course without personal interference on my part. But--I suppose it will
give you some satisfaction if I confess it--I followed you into Bill's
place because you were more than ordinarily beautiful, and because I wanted
to see fair play. I knew you were making a mistake. I knew what would
happen."

They had passed the end of the street, and entered a little green plain