for having deceived me."

"Would you grieve for him, Claire?"

Quick as thought came the answer:

"Grieve for him! No; I could no more love a liar and a villain than I
could caress a viper! I tell you, Madeline, I understand your feelings
when you say that you hate Lucian Davlin," shuddering.

"And you would not hate me also for rudely undeceiving you?"

"Hate my best friend; my benefactor? No!"

"I am thankful!"

"But, Madeline, what does all this mean? Is this what you wanted to
say to me? What can my feelings have to do with your case?"

"Claire,"--Madeline's face was very sad again--"this case is _our_
case."

"_Our_ case?"

"Yes, ours; Olive's, yours, mine. And now I am going to test your
strength."

Claire did not look very strong just then.

"You saw Edward Percy to-day."

Claire Keith sprang to her feet. "How do you know that? And what has
he to do with the case?"

"I know it because we, Mr. Percy and myself, came to this city by the
same train, and I could easily surmise that his business here was with
you."

"Well?" haughtily.

"Ah!" sadly; "you are almost angry with me now. But listen, Claire.
Are you perfectly familiar with all the facts connected with poor
Philip Girard's sad disgrace?"

"I think so," coldly.

"You know that he was convicted upon the testimony of Lucian Davlin
and another?"

"Yes."

"Do you recall the name of the man who was wounded, so said the jury,
by Mr. Girard?"

Up sprang Claire, her eyes blazing. "Madeline," she cried, "I see what
you are coming at. You have got into your head the ridiculous idea
that this man Percy and Edward Percy are the same. It is absurd!"

"Why?"

"Because--because it _is_!" Then, as if the matter were
quite settled, "why, he must have been in Europe at the time."

"Claire, you are getting angry with me, and I have a long story to
tell you. But there is an easy way to settle this matter. Are you
willing to let me take the picture you have of Edward Percy, and
accompany me into Olive's presence while I ask her if she ever saw the
original?"

Nothing else could have so effectually quenched Claire's wrath. She
saw that Madeline had some strong reason for her strange words.
Sitting down with paling cheeks and trembling limbs, she thought. Then
looking across at Madeline, she said, wearily:

"I can't understand you at all, Madeline. It never once occurred to
me to connect the man who brought all that trouble upon poor Philip
wi