adventure more than now. It was a keen pleasure to feel that she was
outwitting Drummond when, as some apparently insurmountable
difficulty arose, she would overcome it. More delicate was it,
however, to preserve the balance between Santos and Gordon. In fact
it seemed that the more she sought to avoid Gordon, the more
jealously did he pursue her. It was a tangled skein of romance and
intrigue that Constance was weaving.

At last all was ready. It was the night before the departure of
Santos for the south. Constance had decided on the last interview in
her own rooms where the first had been.

"I shall go ahead preparing as if to ship the things on the Arroyo,"
she said. "Let me know by the code the moment you are ready."

Santos was looking at her, oblivious of everything else.

He reached over and took her hand. She knew this was the moment
against which she had steeled herself.

"Come with me," he asked suddenly.

She could feel his breath, hotly, on her cheek.

It was the final struggle. If she let go of herself, all would be
lost.

"No, Ramon," she said softly, but without withdrawing her hand. "It
can never be--listen."