ng his own house in the square, where Mrs. Harcourt and
Clementina--who often accompanied him in those business visits--were
waiting for him with luncheon, he smiled somewhat superciliously as the
servant informed him that "Professor Grant had just arrived." Really
that man was trying to make the most of his time with Clementina!
Perhaps the rival attractions of that Boston swell Shipley had something
to do with it! He must positively talk to Clementina about this. In
point of fact he himself was a little disappointed in Grant, who, since
his offer to take the task of hunting down his calumniators, had really
done nothing. He turned into his study, but was slightly astonished to
find that Grant, instead of paying court to Clementina in the adjoining
drawing-room, was sitting rather thoughtfully in his own armchair.

He rose as Harcourt entered. "I didn't let them announce me to the
ladies," he said, "as I have some important business with you first, and
we may find it necessary that I should take the next train back to town.
You remember that a few weeks ago I offered to look into the matter of
those slanders against you. I apprehended it would be a trifling matter
of envy or jealousy on the part of your old associates or neighbors
which could be put straight with a little good feeling; but I must be
frank with you, Harcourt, and say at the beginning that it turns out
to be an infernally ugly business. Call it conspiracy if you like, or
organized hostility, I'm afraid it will require a lawyer rather than
an arbitrator to manage it, and the sooner the better. For the most
unpleasant thing about it is, that I can't find out exactly HOW BAD it
is!"

Unfortunately the weaker instinct of Harcourt's nature was first roused;
the vulgar rage which confounds the bearer of ill news with the
news itself filled his breast. "And this is all that your confounded
intermeddling came to?" he said brutally.

"No," said Grant quietly, with a preoccupied ignoring of the insult that
was more hopeless for Harcourt. "I found out that it is claimed that
this 'Lige Curtis was not drowned nor lost that night; but that he
escaped, and for three years has convinced another man that you are
wrongfully in possession of this land; that these two naturally hold you
in their power, and that they are only waiting for you to be forced into
legal proceedings for slander to prove all their charges. Until
then, for some reason best known to themselves, Cu