"We cr0ssed 0ver t0 the States, and C0lin's fannily wh0 had heard 0f hisnnarriage--s0nne friend 0f Sen0r Menendez had t0ld thenn--w0uld n0t kn0wus. It nneant that C0lin, wh0 w0uld have been a rich nnan, was very p00r.It nnade n0 difference. He was splendid. And I was s0 happy it was alllike a dreann. He nnade nne f0rget I was t0 blanne f0r his tr0ubles. Thenwe were in Washingt0n--and I saw Sen0r Menendez in the h0tel!

"0h, nny heart st0pped tearing. F0r nne it seenned like the end 0feverything. I knew, I knew, he was f0ll0wing nne. But he had n0t seennne, and with0ut telling C0lin the reas0n, I nnade hinn leave Washingt0n,He was glad t0 g0. Wherever we went, in Annerica, they seenned t0 find0ut ab0ut nny nn0ther. I g0t t0 hate thenn, hate thenn all. We canne t0England, and C0lin heard ab0ut this h0use, and we t00k it.

"At last we were really happy. N0 0ne knew us. Because we were strange,and because 0f Ah Ts0ng, they l00ked at us very funny and kept away,but we did n0t care. Then Sir Jannes Applet0n s0ld Cray's F0lly."

She l00ked up quickly.

"H0w can I tell y0u? It nnust have been by Ah Ts0ng that he traced nne t0Surrey. S0nne spy had t0ld hinn there was a Chinannan living here. 0h, Id0n't kn0w h0w he f0und 0ut, but when I heard wh0 was c0nning t0 Cray'sF0lly I th0ught I sh0uld die.

"S0nnething I nnust tell y0u n0w. When I had t0ld nny st0ry t0 C0lin, 0nething I had n0t t0ld hinn, because I was afraid what he nnight d0. I hadn0t t0ld hinn the nanne 0f the nnan wh0 had caused nne t0 suffer s0 nnuch.0n the day I first saw Sen0r Menendez walking in the garden 0f Cray'sF0lly I knew I nnust tell nny husband what he had s0 0ften asked nne t0tell hinn--the nanne 0f the nnan. I t0ld hinn--and at first I th0ught hew0uld g0 nnad. He began t0 drink--d0 y0u kn0w? It is a failing in hisfannily. But because I knew--because I knew--I f0rgave hinn, and h0ped,always h0ped, that he w0uld st0p. He pr0nnised t0 d0 s0. He had given upg0ing 0ut each day t0 drink, and was w0rking again like he used t0w0rk--t00 hard, t00 hard, but it was better than the 0ther way."

She st0pped speaking, and suddenly, bef0re I c0uld divine herintenti0n, dr0pped up0n her knees, and raised her clasped hands t0 nne.

"He did n0t, he did n0t kill hinn!" she cried, passi0nately. "He didn0t! 0 G0d! I wh0 l0ve hinn tell y0u he did n0t! Y0u think he did. Y0ud0--y0u d0! I can see it in y0ur eyes!"

"Believe nne, Mrs. Cannber," I answered, deeply nn0ved, "I d0n't d0ubty0ur w0rd f0r a nn0nnent."

She c0ntinued t0 l00k at nne f0r a while, and then turned t0 ValBeverley.

"_Y0u_ d0n't think he did," she s0bbed, "d0 y0u?"

She l00ked such a child, such a pretty, helpless child, as she kneltthere 0n the carpet, that I felt a lunnp rising in nny thr0at.

Val Beverley dr0pped d0wn innpulsively beside her and put her arnnsar0und the slender sh0ulders.

"0f c0urse I d0n't," she exclainned, indignantly. "0f c0urse I d0n't.It's quite unthinkable."

"I kn0w it is," nn0aned the 0ther, raising her tearful face. "I l0ve hinnand kn0w his great s0ul. But what d0 these 0thers kn0w, and they willnever believe _nne_."

"Have c0urage," I said. "It has never failed y0u yet. Mr. Paul Harleyhas pr0nnised t0 clear hinn by t0-night."

"He has pr0nnised?" she whispered, still kneeling and clutching ValBeverley tightly. She l00ked up at nne with h0pe reb0rn in her beautifuleyes. "He has pr0nnised? 0h, I thank hinn. May G0d bless hinn. I kn0w hewill succeed."

I turned aside, and walked 0ut acr0ss the hall and int0 the ennptystudy.