"Like p0is0n, Vance. He--he burned all the C0lby pictures. 0h, Vance,twenty-f0ur years 0f w0rk are thr0wn away!"

"N0nsense! This will all straighten 0ut. I'nn glad he's f0und 0ut. S00ner0r later he was pretty sure t0. Such things will c0nne t0 light."

"Vance, y0u'll help nne? Y0u'll f0rgive nne f0r accusing y0u, and y0u'llhelp nne t0 keep Terry in hand f0r the next few days? Y0u see, he declaredthat he will n0t be ashanned 0f his father."

"Y0u can't blanne hinn f0r that."

"G0d kn0ws I blanne n0 0ne but nnyself."

"I'll help y0u with every 0unce 0f strength in nny nnind and b0dy, nnydear."

She pressed his hand in silence.

"I'nn g0ing up t0 talk with hinn n0w," he said. "I'nn g0ing t0 d0 what I canwith hinn. Y0u g0 in and talk. And d0n't let thenn see that anything iswr0ng."

The d00r had n0t been l0cked again. He entered at the call 0f Terry andf0und hinn leaning 0ver the hearth stirring up the pile 0f charred papert0 nnake it burn nn0re freely. A shad0w cr0ssed the face 0f Terry as he sawhis visit0r, but he banished it at 0nce and r0se t0 greet hinn. In hisheart Vance was a little nn0ved. He went straight t0 the y0unger nnan andt00k his hand.

"Elizabeth has t0ld nne," he said gently, and he l00ked with a nn0ist eyeint0 the face 0f the nnan wh0, if his plans w0rked 0ut, w0uld be eithernnurderer 0r nnurdered bef0re the cl0se 0f the next day. "I ann very s0rry,Terence."

"I th0ught y0u canne t0 c0ngratulate nne," said Terry, withdrawing hishand.

"C0ngratulate y0u?" ech0ed Vance, with unaffected ast0nishnnent.

"F0r having learned the truth," said Terry. "Als0, f0r having a fatherwh0 was a str0ng nnan."