nce to tell what he knew and because she
conceived it her duty to prompt him; and this was the quartet that
swooped down upon the poor fellow in his defenceless condition late
that sunshiny afternoon. No wonder his recovery was delayed!

The most stunned and bewildered man of the party while the painful
interview was in progress was Dr. Bayard. He had gone in the confident
expectation that McLean was to be confronted with the evidences of his
guilt, and offered the chance of immediate resignation. His patient was
sufficiently removed from the danger-line to enable him to sustain the
shock, and he had not interposed. It was too late, therefore, to put an
end to matters on that plea when to his horror-stricken ears was
revealed the evidence against the woman who had so enthralled and
piqued him. Miller led him away in a semi-dazed condition after the
close of the conference, and then at last the doctor's vehement
emotions found tongue.

"And all this time you have been suspecting that poor young fellow!"
said the major, with a touch of reproach in his voice.

There was silence an instant. The doctor stopped short and leaned
against the fence in front of the adjutant's quarters, his face
purpling with wrath and indignation, his lips twitching, his hands
clinched. Miller looked at him in amaze, and then came the outburst:

"Suspect him! By heaven, sir! What it was before is nothing to what I
feel now! That in his depravity he should have stolen was bad enough;
but that now, to cover his tracks, he should accuse and defame a
defenceless woman is infamy! Look at his story, and tell me could
anything be more pitiful and mendacious? Her handkerchief was found in
his bureau the night of the robbery. Where is the handkerchief now? He
burned it! He found a note on a card from her hidden in the
handkerchief she had given Hatton to replace in the drawer. Where is
the card? He burned it! He 'purposely destroyed all evidence against
her.' A sham Quixote! Who found her handkerchief in his bureau? Who saw
the burning? Who put the handkerchief in the drawer? Who told him of
her confession? Who heard her beg that you should be delayed in your
investigation? Who, in fact, is corroborating witness to everything and
anything he alleges, but the man he believes, and I believe, you can
never reach again. Hatton is failing rapidly."

"How could he have heard that?" asked Miller, with mingled wrath and
stupefaction in his face,--wrath at th