"Listen," he interrupted. "A lot of men, in my line and in
others, have come a cropper in their careers, because of some
woman. But I'm the first to come such a cropper on account of
a woman with a white soul and the eyes of a child,--a woman I
scarcely know, and who has no interest in me. But, to-night,
I shall telegraph my resignation. Some saner man can take
charge. There are enough of our men massed in this vicinity
to choose from. I'm going to get out of Florida and leave the
game to play itself to an end, without me. I'm an idiot to do
it. But I'd be worse than an idiot to let you trust me and
let you tell me things that would wreck your half-brother and
bring sorrow and shame to you. I'm through! And I can't even
be sorry."

"Mr. Brice," she said, gently, "I'm afraid your terrible
experiences, this afternoon and last evening, have unsettled
your mind, a little. Just sit still there, and rest. I am
going to run the boat to shore and--"

"You're right," he laughed, ruefully, as he made way for her
to start the engine. "My experiences have 'unsettled' my
mind. And now that I've spoiled my own game, I'll tell you
the rest--as much of it as I have a right to. It doesn't
matter, any longer. Hade knows--or at least suspects.
That's why he tried to get me killed. In this century, people
don't try to have others killed, just for fun. There's got to
be a powerful motive behind it. Such a motive as made a man
last evening try to knife your half-brother. Such a motive as
induced Hade to get me out of the way. He knows. Or he
suspects. And that means the crisis must come, almost at