eye.

But now Miss Julia's courage failed her. Her double sacrifice for the
child and the child's unknown and uncreated father had failed! She
limped toward the door. Her great adventure was ended.

But, at least, she had been alone in the presence of the great man whom
she had loved these many years. And she had found him in all ways
worthy! He was still a hero in her eyes, a great man, a noble man--yes,
she was sure of that.

How must the angels have sighed as Miss Julia stumbled down the stair
with this thing in her heart! For, in all her heart, she knew that, had
she been young as Aurora Lane once was young, and had such a man as this
asked of her anything--anything--she would have given! She would have
yielded gladly all she had to yield--she would have given her life into
his keeping.... For of such is the kingdom of love, if not the kingdom
of heaven. And as to that last let the angels say, who watched poor Miss
Julia as she stumbled down the stair.

CHAPTER XVI

HORACE BROOKS, ATTORNEY AT LAW

As for Aurora Lane, at about the time Miss Julia was leaving Judge
Henderson's office, she herself was in the office of another lawyer upon
the opposite side of the square--the man Henderson hated and feared more
than any other human being.

Horace Brooks, after his usual fashion, was spending his Sunday
afternoon in his legal chambers. He lived as a bachelor, the sole
boarder of a family far out toward the edge of town--a family that had
no social standing, but that never became accustomed to the ways of Mr.
Brooks, who came and went, ate, slept, and acted, as one largely in a
trance, so occupied was he with thoughts of his business affairs. Never
was a soul less concerned with conventions or formalities than he; nor
one more absorbed, more concentrated of purpose in large things.

He was sitting now, as often he might have been seen to sit, tilted back
in his chair, with his feet on his table, where rested in extreme
disorder many volumes of the law, some opened, face-down, others piled
in untidy masses here and there. Mr. Brooks had no clerk and no partner.
When he cited an authority in his library he left the book where last
it was used, and searched for it pellmell if later need arose. This same
system applied to every other article of use in the entire office--it
was all chance medley, and the pursuit of the desired article was short
or long in accordance with the luck of the searcher.

Around him