lieve you have the power to force my uncle into furthering a
plan of yours. You found him obstinate at your first attempt, but you
think his resolution may since have given way."

"Yes," she said; "if I insist, he cannot refuse me."

"That is where we differ. I'm in your way, and you'll excuse my saying
that you'll find me rather troublesome to remove. Then a secret loses
its value when people find it out, and it's perhaps news to you that a
man from Canada called upon my uncle not long since with a story very
like yours. He found the Colonel no more amenable than you did."

Mrs. Chudleigh looked surprised, but that was all. "It may save us
both trouble if you tell me candidly what you mean to do."

Blake glanced down the gallery. Mrs. Keith was sitting at a table with
some old prints spread out before her, but as the light was fading he
hardly supposed that she could see him well, though he imagined that
she was watching. In the background Mrs. Foster was talking to Miss
Challoner, with Millicent standing in the shadow. The Challoner
portraits were growing indistinct, though their heavy gold frames
glimmered faintly, and he could no longer distinguish the carving on
the ends of the dark oak beams. Though he thought he was safe from
interruption by any of the others, Blake realized that he had no time
to lose, because Challoner must arrive soon.

"Yes," he said, "I think it would be better. Well, I mean to relieve
my uncle from any further attacks of the kind you have made on him and
to defend my cousin's honour. You must see that you are powerless to
injure it unless I confirm your tale."

Mrs. Chudleigh clenched her hand and her eyes flashed. "You are
willing to bear undeserved disgrace, to wander about Canada, an outcast
from all society you could take pleasure in? It's incomprehensible,
unless you have something to gain."

Blake regarded her with a tolerant smile. "My dear lady, it's obvious
that I should not gain anything by supporting your ingenious theory of
what happened on the frontier, because if you were right, your only
power over the Colonel would lie in his supposed desire to keep it
quiet, which would, of course, prevent my clearing my character. If,
however, you wish to believe that I have been bought over by him or
Bertram, you must do so. I'll own that it seems the best explanation;
but I should then have a strong reason for opposing you."

"But you are opposing me."

"Yes," s