my marriage."

"Was Miss Forester ever married?"

"Yes."

"Ah! how fortunate that I happened to mention this circumstance to you
this evening!" exclaimed the lawyer, with great apparent satisfaction,
but ignoring the evident reluctance of his companion to give him
information. "Perhaps you can give more particulars. Whom did the lady
marry?"

"Don't ask me anything about her, Mr. Corbin," Mrs. Montague cried,
excitedly, and with an angry gesture. "The girl ruined my life--she loved
the man I loved and--I hated her accordingly."

"But surely you can have no objection to telling me what you know of her
history," returned Mr. Corbin, with assumed surprise. "I have this case
to settle, and I simply wish to find the woman or her heirs, in order to
do my duty and carry out the instructions of the will. It would assist me
greatly if you could tell me where I might find her," he concluded, in an
appealing tone.

"She is dead--she died more than eighteen years ago."

"Ah! where did she die?"

"Abroad--in London."

"Did she leave any heirs?"

"She died in giving birth to her only child."

"Did the child live?"

"I--believe so."

"Was it a son or a daughter?"

"The latter."

"What became of her--where is she now?"

"I do not know--I do not care!" were the vicious words which burst from
the woman's white lips, and Mr. Corbin saw that she was greatly excited,
while everything that she had said thus far went to corroborate the
statements Mona had made to him regarding her mother.

"But, my dear madame," Mr. Corbin said, soothingly, "while I do not like
to trouble you, or recall painful memories, cannot you see that it is my
duty to sift this matter and avail myself of whatever information I can
get? If Miss Forester was married and had a child, that child, if living,
is Homer Forester's heir, and I must find her. Now, if you know anything
about these people that will assist me in my search, it becomes your duty
to reveal it to me."

"I cannot; I do not know of anything that will assist you," sullenly
returned Mrs. Montague, who was mentally reproaching herself in the most
bitter manner for having allowed herself to be taken so unawares and to
betray so much.

"Whom did the lady marry?" persisted Mr. Corbin.

"I will not tell you!" passionately exclaimed his companion. "Oh, why
have I told you anything? Why did I acknowledge that I even knew Mona
Forester? I should not have done so, but you surprised the tr