you married Howard
you--you made a mistake--to say the least?"

"Yes, that part of it has been made pretty plain. It was a mistake--his
mistake--my mistake. But now it's done and it can't be undone. I don't
see why you can't take it as it is and--and----"

She stopped short and Alicia completed the sentence for her:

"--and welcome you into our family----"

"Welcome me? No, ma'am. I'm not welcome and nothing you or your set
could say would ever make me believe that I was welcome. All I ask is
that Howard's father do his duty by his son."

"I do not think--pardon my saying so," interrupted Alicia stiffly, "that
you are quite in a position to judge of what constitutes Mr. Jeffries'
duty to his son."

"Perhaps not. I only know what I would do--what my father would have
done--what any one would do if they had a spark of humanity in them. But
they do say that after three generations of society life red blood turns
into blue."

Alicia turned to look out of the window. Her face still averted she
said:

"What is there to do? Howard has acknowledged his guilt--any sacrifices
we may make will be thrown away."

Annie eyed her companion with contempt. Her voice quivering with
indignation, she burst out:

"What is there to do! Try and save him, of course. Must we sit and do
nothing because things look black? Ah! I wasn't brought up that way. No,
ma'am, I'm going to make a fight!"

"It's useless," murmured Alicia, shaking her head.

"Judge Brewster doesn't think so," replied the other calmly.

The banker's wife gave a start of surprise. Quickly she demanded:

"You mean that Judge Brewster has encouraged you to--to----"

"He's done more than encourage me--God bless him!--he's going to take up
the case."

Alicia was so thunderstruck that for a moment she could find no answer.

"What!" she exclaimed, "without consulting Mr. Jeffries?"

She put her handkerchief to her face to conceal her agitation. Could it
be possible that the judge was going to act, after all, in defiance of
her husband's wishes? If that were true, what would become of her?
Concealment would be no longer possible. Discovery of her clandestine
visit to Underwood's apartment that fatal night must come. Howard might
still be the murderer, Underwood might not have committed suicide, but
her visit to his rooms at midnight would become known. Judge Brewster
was not the man to be deterred by difficulties once he took up a case.
He would see the importa