Reality brought a rush of blinding relief, so that she swayed a moment by the door. For the jailer ushered her into a commodious room whose furnishings included tables, chairs, and a length of crimson drugget over the boards.

And her father! He was a trifle pale, his brilliant dark eyes showed fatigue, but he wore his familiar black silk suit, his neckcloth was snowily immaculate as ever.

She flung her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder that smelled of tobacco and clear-starch from his fresh linen: an indescribably comforting odor which sent her straight back to her childhood, when the strength of his arms holding her, the blessed reassurance of his nearness, exorcised all woes.

It was so now. She had prepared herself to comfort and sustain. She saw with deep joy that that had been presumptu ous. He was as always master of himself, of his environment, and of her.

'Father, darling,' she whispered, and now that there was no longer need to be brave, her eyes swam with tears.

He kissed her cheek and laughed, saying with his own unique mixture of raillery and tenderness: 'Welcome to the penitentiary, madam, and behold the jailbird: a pampered jailbird. I am far more comfortable here than I have been during a great part of my life. Many of the good citizens of Richmond keep me supplied with delicacies. Look!'

He pointed to a table beside the window, loaded with gifts. There were piles of oranges and apricots, baskets of raspberries, a pitcher of cream, a pat of butter; there were colored comfits, a box of cigars, and a towering bunch of red roses.

'A fair lady sent me these,' said Aaron, pulling one of the roses from the vase, 'with a most impassioned note. She would be surprised at the use I shall make of this one'. He fastened it to the neck of Theo's dress. 'Now, if you will smile, my pretty one, you will be lovely as I like to see you'. Theo managed a watery smile.

'That's better. I see you are surprised to find me like this. Poor child, did you really expect to find me beating my breast and wallowing in filth?'

She nodded ruefully. 'Something like that. Thank God, I was wrong. But Father—that mob out there, they're horrible. They're all against you; they scream and rant about—about——'

'About my hanging,' finished Aaron calmly. 'I know. I can hear them. They will, however, be disappointed. I do not intend to be hanged.'

She moistened her lips. 'Are you—are you sure of the outcome?' She watched him fearfully as he walked back and forth on the strip of drugget, frowning.