It's himself that has given him away; there's
mighty little credit to us, Mark. His own pride of intellect has
thrown him. If he can win out now I'll forgive the scamp."
"To you all credit--if you are right in what you believe; to me
certainly none from first to last," answered Brendon gloomily. "And
yet," he added, "you may be mistaken. A man's convictions are not
easily uprooted; love is not always blind, and still I feel that,
even if I have lost my reputation, I may win something better--after
the tale is told."
Ganns patted his arm kindly.
"Hope no such thing, I beg you," he said. "Fight your hope, for it
will soon prove to be based on a chimera--on something that doesn't
and never did exist. But your reputation is another matter and I
pray you won't feel so ready to let a fine record go down the wind
this time to-morrow."
"To-morrow?"
"Yes; to-morrow night the bracelets go on him."
Peter then indicated his purpose.
"He'll not guess we're moving quite so quickly and, by so doing, we
anticipate his stroke.
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