on't
you give us your opinion as to the achievements of our little friend?"

Claire came forward, with a charming mixture of frankness and
embarrassment: "First, let me make the _amende honorable_, Doctor
Vaughan. I presented myself at this interview with the full intention,
and for the express purpose, of waging war upon you both, if
necessary, and I had no doubt that it would be."

Doctor Vaughan looked much astonished.

"But," pursued Claire, "I have misjudged you. I did not think you
would so heartily approve of Madeline's course, and I was bristling
with bayonets to defend her."

"I must own to being of Claire's opinion," interposed Olive, looking
somewhat amused.

Clarence smiled and then looked thoughtful.

"I can easily understand," he said, seriously, "how you ladies might
have looked upon the course Miss Payne has taken, as an objectionable,
even an improper, one. The position in which she has placed herself
is, certainly, an unusual, a startling one for a woman of refinement
and delicacy. But we must consider that the occasion is also an
unusual one, and ordinary measures will not apply successfully to
extraordinary cases. As to the impropriety, no one need fear to trust
his or her honor in the keeping of a woman as brave and noble as
Madeline Payne is proving herself."

"Then you do not censure Madeline for refusing to trust the matter in
the hands of a detective?" questioned Olive.

"The matter _is_ in the hands of a detective, Mrs. Girard; in the
hands of the shrewdest and ablest little detective that could, by any
possibility, have been found. Why, Madeline has accomplished, in a
short time, what the best detectives on our regular force might have
labored at for a year, and then failed of achieving!"

Claire threw a look of triumph at her sister. "Oh, how glad I am to
hear you say all this, and how glad Madeline would be." Then she
checked herself suddenly.

"I can suggest but one improvement upon the present state of things,"
said Clarence, after a moment's reflection. "That is, if we can
persuade Madeline to permit it, and I think we can, we should set two
men at work, neither one to be aware of the employment of the other.
One to trace out as much of the past of this man Percy, as may be. The
other to perform the same office for Davlin. Of course, they would not
be advised of the actual reason for these researches, and so their
investigations would in no way interfere with Madeline's pursu