ld
be a thing to look forward to and dream about."

But Godfrey shook his head.

"I've felt like that," he said; "but they're not to be had for money.
And now about Swain."

"Let's postpone it a little longer," I begged. "I don't want my mind
distracted."

Godfrey laughed, but fell silent; and for the next half hour, no sound
was heard.

"Now," I said, at last, "I'm ready to listen, so fire ahead whenever
you want to."

"I haven't much to tell," he began; "nothing new about the case. But I
stopped at the Tombs, before I started back, to make sure that Swain
had everything he wanted. They'd given him an upper cell, and sent
over to the Marathon and got him his things, and I arranged to have
his meals sent in to him from Moquin's."

"I ought to have thought of that," I said, contritely. "I'm much
obliged to you, Godfrey. Did you see him?"

"Only for a minute. He seemed fairly cheerful. He'd had them bring
some of his law books to him, and remarked that he'd have plenty of
time to study. I like the way he's taking it. He gave me a message for
you."

"What was it?"

"That you are not to forget your promise."

I smoked on for a few moments in silence.

"I promised him I'd get Miss Vaughan away from that house," I said at
last. "I had Mrs. Royce write her a note, inviting her to stay with
her. I gave it to her this afternoon."

"What did she say?"

"She didn't say anything, but I could see the idea didn't impress her.
And I had thought all along that she would jump at it."

Godfrey gave a little grunt, whether of surprise or satisfaction I
could not tell.

"Why didn't you put her on the stand to-day, Lester?" he asked.
"Afraid of upsetting her?"

"I wouldn't have stopped for that, if her evidence would have helped
Swain. But it would only have put him deeper in the hole."

"In what way?"

"Well, in the first place, she says that as she and her father
returned to the house, she heard footsteps behind them and thought it
was Swain following them, because that would be a natural thing for
him to do; and, in the second place, she saw that blood-stained
handkerchief on the floor beside her father's chair when she came into
the room and found him dead."

"So," said Godfrey slowly, "it couldn't have been dropped there by
Swain when he stooped to pick her up."

"No; besides, we know perfectly well that it wasn't about his wrist
when he came back over the wall. Goldberger knows it, too, and we'll
be ask