The Law of the Land by Fred M. White

Ralph was left after the departure of Dick to his own troubled thoughts, and to his own devices. He was glad enough to see Barca's back in the morning, and sincerely hoped that he would never see the fellow again. Nevertheless, he did not forget Dick's prophecy that Barca would return once more and that he was probably to be looked for that evening. It was getting towards dinner time when a somewhat mysterious telegram arrived from Charteris warning him that Barca was returning a little later, and that he was to be met in any way that Dick desired. In other words, whatever proposition, however audacious, he made to Ralph, was to be acquiesced in without the slightest murmur.

There was only one thing for it, and that was to obey. If anybody could save him, Dick could. But it seemed a work of superfluous energy. What did anything matter so long as Ralph was estranged from Enid? She would never see him again, her trust in him was gone for ever. In that respect, Enid was a true Charteris, with all the strange fantastic jealousy of her race. Perhaps if Ralph had confessed to the Lingen episode in the beginning, all might have been well.