and, for a moment, stood gazing before her miserably. Her lips were
trembling, her eyes moist with rising tears. Then she faced him, her
head raised defiantly.

"I have been hounded out of every decent way of living," she protested
hysterically. "I can make thousands of dollars tonight," she cried, "out
of this one."

Winthrop looked straight into her eyes. His own were pleading, full of
tenderness and pity; so eloquent with meaning that those of the girl
fell before them.

"That is no answer," said the man. "You know it's not. I tell you--you
will fail."

From the hall Judge Gaylor entered noisily. Instinctively the man
and girl moved nearer together, and upon the intruder Winthrop turned
angrily.

"Well?" he demanded sharply. "I thought you had finished your talk,"
protested the Judge. "Mr. Hallowell is anxious to begin."

Winthrop turned and looked at Vera steadily. For an instant the eyes of
the girl faltered, and then she returned his glance with one as resolute
as his own. As though accepting her verdict as final, Winthrop walked
quickly to the door. "I shall be downstairs," he said, "when this is
over, let me know."

Gaylor struggled to conceal his surprise and satisfaction. "You won't be
here for the seance?" he exclaimed.

"Certainly not," cried Winthrop. "I--" He broke off suddenly. Without
again looking toward Vera, or trying to hide his displeasure, he left
the room.

Gaylor turned to the girl. He was smiling with relief.

"Excellent!" he muttered. "Excellent! What was he saying to you," he
asked eagerly, "as I came in--that you would fail?"

The girl moved past him to the door. "Yes," she answered dully.

"But you will not!" cried the man. "We're all counting on you, you know.
Destroy the old will. Sign the new will," he quoted. He came close to
her and whispered. "That means thousands of dollars to you and Vance,"
he urged.

The girl turned and regarded him with unhappy, angry eyes.

"You need not be frightened," she answered. For the man before her and
for herself, her voice was bitter with contempt and self-accusation.
"Mr. Winthrop is mistaken. He does not know me," she said miserably. "I
shall not fail."

For a moment, after she had left him, Gaylor stood motionless, his eyes
filled with concern, and then, with a shrug, as though accepting either
good or evil fortune, he called from the bedroom Mr. Hallowell, and,
from the floor below, the guests of Hallowell and of Vance.

As Hal