His had been the blessed victory over
herbitterness, her mockery, her consciousness of despair.
Would not he fail her if he killed this
man?
Theferocity in Adam had never found itself in
relation to Virey. The wide spaces, the wild places of the earth as it was in
thebeginning!
Adam wrapped a long arm around her trembling body
and held her close. And what of the man who won herfickle heart?
And, Wansfell, Im filled with pityfor
women.
It has come from your strife and agony onthe
desert. He recognised them as the speciesof desert ant that could bite almost as
fiercely as a scorpion. He did not suffer greatlyfrom the heat, but he felt its
weakening power. The red ants had a hill some few paces from the shelter where Adam
lay. And if Virey had ever worn a mask in front of Adam he now dropped it. Failure
was a state unknown to their instincts. Then with basin of water and wetted scarf he
essayed to bring Mrs. Magdalene Virey sat on the stone bench under the brushshelter,
waiting for him.
She can nomore change it than she can change the
shape of her hand. The lightover Death Valley at that height was too fierce for the
gaze of man.
Crack of astone, faint, far away, high on the
heights, a lonely sound making realthe lonely night. Theferocity in Adam had never
found itself in relation to Virey. Then like a man stung he leaped up and bounded
round theshack toward the slope.
I hated him because they forced me to marry
him.
CHAPTER XVIIThe hour came when Magdalene Virey
stirred Adam to his depths.