any change, Mr. Eaton."
She said something in a low tone to Avery, who nodded; then she sat
down opposite Eaton, and Avery seated himself on the arm of the seat
beside her.

"Can Dr. Sinclair see any difference?" Eaton asked.

"Dr. Sinclair will not commit himself except to say that so far as he
can tell, the indications are favorable. He seems to think--" The
girl choked; but when she went on, her blue eyes were very bright and
her lips did not tremble. "Dr. Sinclair seems to think, Mr. Eaton,
that Father was found just in time, and that whatever chance he has for
recovery came from you. Mr. Avery and I had passed by the berth; other
people had gone by. Sometimes Father had insomnia and wouldn't get to
sleep till late in the morning; so I--and Mr. Avery too--would have
left him undisturbed until noon. Dr. Sinclair says that if he had been
left as long as that, he would have had no chance at all for life."

"He has a chance, then, now?"

"Yes; but we don't know how much. The change Dr. Sinclair is expecting
may be either for better or worse. I--I wanted you to know, Mr. Eaton,
that I recognize--that the chance Father may have came through you, and
that I am trying to think of you as the one who gave him the chance."

The warm blood flooded Eaton's face, and he bowed his head. She, then,
was not wholly hostile to him; she had not been completely convinced by
Avery.

"What was it you wanted to tell Miss Santoine?" Avery challenged.

"What did Miss Santoine want to tell me?"

"What she has just told you."

Eaton thought for a moment. The realization that had come to him just
now that something had kept the girl from condemning him as Avery and
Connery had condemned him, and that somehow, for some reason, she must
have been fighting within herself to-day and last night against the
proof of his guilt, flushed him with gratitude and changed the attitude
he had thought it was going to be necessary for him to take in this
talk with her. As he looked up, her eyes met his; then she looked
quickly away. Avery moved impatiently and repeated his question:

"What was it you wanted to say?"

"Are they looking for any one, Miss Santoine--any one besides me in
connection with the attack upon your father?"

She glanced at Avery and did not answer. Avery's eyes narrowed. "We
are quite satisfied with what we have been doing," he answered.

"Then they are not looking, Miss Santoine!"

Her lips pressed togethe