She had sprung up, and her hands closed around his arm, shaking it in the desperation of her dread; while her voice quivered under the strain of a conjecture that Bertie had already been arrested.
"Where is your chivalrous, courageous, unselfish, devoted lover? To ascertain exactly where he skulks, is my mission to Canada; for I thought I had schooled myself to bear the pain of—"
"What do you mean? What have you done with my Bertie? Oh—"
She threw herself suddenly on her knees, held up her hands, and a wailing cry broke the stillness:
"Save him, Mr. Dunbar! You will break my heart if you bring ruin upon his dear head. He is all I have on earth, he is my own brother! My brother! my brother!"
The blood ebbed from his face; the haughty mouth twitched in a sudden spasm, and he put his hand over his eyes.
Could she adopt this ruse to thwart pursuit of the man whom she idolized? For half a moment he stood, with whitened lips; then stooped, took the face of the kneeling woman in his palms, and scanned it.
"Your brother?"
"My brother. Do you understand at last, why I must save him? Why you must help me to screen him from ruin?"
"Great God! After all, what a blind fool I have been!"