ho says nothing, but keeps track of the Northfield party until all
enter the home of Alice Webster.

Sir Donald learns that the plaintiff, William Dodge, is from Calcutta.
Recently arrived from India, he had instituted the action. There was no
record of any deed connecting the Webster estate with the original
title. How the decree of court adjudging title to Alice as sole heir of
William Webster had been obtained was a mystery. Perhaps some unrecorded
conveyance from rightful owners to William Webster had been presented,
and upon these the decree was based.

Solicitors were employed by Alice. In support of her rights they could
find no record or other evidence. However, they began most exhaustive
search to locate the different grantors whose names appeared in the
Dodge chain of title.

Sir Donald suspected that the Dodge papers were forgeries, or were
obtained from record owners who had conveyed to the father of Alice and
afterward deeded the same property to the Dodge grantors. Possibly there
might be a number of unrecorded deeds. Perhaps the records had been
falsified.

Numberless possible contingencies were suggested to his legal acumen.
Contrary to his usual secretive habit, Sir Donald suggests these to
Oswald, who in turn comments upon them to Alice and Esther, with all the
gravity of original discovery.

Sir Donald's reports to Alice were brief, giving little information,
except ultimate facts as to results of the investigations. Upon most
matters relating to proposed tactics, Sir Donald was silent.

Oswald marveled at the obtuseness of this eminent barrister. Why not
unravel this web of connivance with dispatch? Time, distance, and every
contingency, immediate or remote, were merely incidental. Oswald Langdon
will see that the solicitors and Sir Donald Randolph do not fail.

One day Alice pressed Sir Donald for an opinion of the probable time
required to have the cloud upon her title removed, and said: "I hope you
will frankly tell me all the difficulties likely to confront you in the
case. The matter surely can be decided in a short time. From what Oswald
has told me, I certainly will win."

Sir Donald explained many uncertainties of the case. His talk was so
sincere, evincing such understanding of the puzzling mazes of the
matter, that Alice could not fail to see her chances of success were at
best very doubtful. In spite of Sir Donald's promise to devote time and
money to vindicate her title, Alice fe