Perhaps he had deeper schemes. She did
not stop to imagine what they were. She shrank from the thought of
them as purity shrinks instinctively from the contemplation of
evil. She believed that, if once she could meet Guy face to face,
she could defeat him. She counted upon that understanding which
had been between them from the beginning and which had drawn them
to each other in spite of all opposition. She counted upon that
part of Guy which Kieff had never known, those hidden qualities
which vice had overgrown like a fungus but which she knew were
still existent under the surface evil. Guy had been generous and
frank in the old days, a lover of fair play, an impetuous follower
of anything that appealed to him as great. She was sure that these
characteristics had been an essential part of his nature. He had
failed through instability, through self-indulgence and weakness of
purpose. But he was not fundamentally wicked. She was sure that
she could appeal to those good impulses within him, and that she
would not appeal in vain. She was sure that the power of good
would still be paramount over him if she held out to him the
helping hand which he so sorely needed. She had the strength
within her--strength that was more than human--and she was certain
of the victory, if only she could find him quickly, quickly!
As she sat there waiting feverishly to start, her whole being was
in a passion of supplication that she might be in time.
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