The Shadow of a Man

, in shadow below, but with each particular roof like a clean tablecloth in the glare of the risen moon. A high light or so showed in the verandah underneath; this was Bethune's

on her, a feathery and white silhouette, edged wi

r fa

m his son

t jarred upon the woman, and reacted against the man. Moya's first feeling had

me your fath

l scale between man and woman. It

rds, I think," said

ontemptible distinctions!" she cried out honestly. "Better have cheated me

see some excuse for it," re

ing your poor father. I forgive you for cheating the police-it would have been unnat

ok a shar

rd," said he, "and I object

earned i

gedy in my own family which you could gain noth

oya very hotly, but he went o

ifference? He was convicted under another name; it was a thing nobody knew but our

as outward

ou should have told me, an

But I knew the difference it

bitter, and Moya's to

that that makes t

urse i

e me if I assured

ht think so;

ittle about women," sa

said that he could only judge b

er pride. But at last she told him he was very dull. And she dre

moon just mis

was very

everything, and give me

, when the mere

r said

know it must be. Th

shoul

ll have

n't s

arent even to him, it wrought no answering change in Rigden; on the contrary, he fell into a brow

o extraordinary as I did once. A bad man may still be the one man for a good woman, and make her happier than the best of good fellows; it was so in their case. My father was and is a bad man; there's no mincing the matter. I've stood by

nently yet not unkindly; indeed sh

took care not to let his people or hers get wind of her existence; never wrote them a line in her poorest days, though her people wou

ining like the moon itself; and the tears in her

er!" she said, an

no effect. He looked at it wistfully, but let it go with

story to hear. The villain had not been a villain of

in your time," said Rigden; "b

llys," said honest Moya. "I'

r hear of Ca

e name, no

an escort under arms. There was a whole band of them, and they were all taken at last; but it was not the last of Captain Bovill. You have seen the old hulk Success? He was one of the prisoners who seized the launch and killed a warder and a sailor between them; he was one of those sentenced to death

as very human. There was Moya beside him in the moonlight, but for the la

er?" she cried of a sudden; and the blame was back

smile

is that my unhappy father was more than notorious in his day; he was popular; and popular sympathy has been the bugbear of the police ever since the Kellys. Not that he has much sympathy for me!" cried Rigden all at once. "Not that I'm

had trusted me," sighed Moya once mo

ot risk the repulse of his hand, though h

late now

d open to the least and meanest of the besetting host. She make advances to him, to the convict's son! What would he

y for the second time) he had

oya's voice was as col

it to be so, and in any case now. But may I ask why

re were no more high lights in the verandah; but el

he said, "you will jus

fer to have it he

ugged his

ee agent. I am here on pa

nse

fugitive! They can't put sal

, pity and understanding had gone like so many masts, by the board, and the wreckage in

?" she inquired stonily, though t

er had done thirty miles for it this afternoon. They wanted to take me straight away.

ldn't say on

d with Harkness to tell you now. And by all my god

re forced! I might have known you were keeping the worst up your sle

e most miserable hour of all my existence; you must make it worse! How

a knife in her heart, bu

Harkness mounted, with a led horse, and Theodore B

s, and none of them know my motive. You're in both secrets. You'd better

ed the music with an orchestra some millions strong. The clink of a boot in a stirrup, a thud in the saddle, another clink upon the off side; and Rigden lifting his wideawa