n' fool I was not to guess it
in the first place! _There's_ the answer I've been hunting for."

But, as he pondered over it during the long drive home he realized that,
after all, it was not by any means a completely satisfying answer. True
it confirmed his previous belief that the bonds which Phillips had
deposited with the New York brokers were not a part of the residue of
his wife's estate. He had obtained them from Cordelia Berry. But the
question as to how and why he had obtained them still remained. Did he
get them by fraud? Did she lend them to him? If she lent them was it a
loan without restrictions? Did she know what he meant to do with them;
that is, was Cordelia a silent partner in Egbert's stock speculations?
Or, and this was by no means impossible considering her infatuation, had
she given them to him outright?

Unless there was an element of fraud or false pretense in the
transference of those bonds, the mere knowledge of whence they came was
not likely to help in regaining George Kent's sixteen hundred dollars.
For the matter of that, even if they had been obtained by fraud, if they
were not Phillips' property, but Cordelia's, still the return of Kent's
money might be just as impossible provided Phillips had nothing of his
own to levy upon. He--Kendrick--might compel the brokers to return Mrs.
Berry's City of Boston 4-1/2s to their rightful owner, but how would
that help Kent?

Well, never mind that now. If the worst came to the worst he could still
borrow the eight hundred which would save George from public disgrace.
And the fact remained that his campaign against the redoubtable Egbert
had made, for the first time, a forward movement, however slight.

His thoughts turned to Elizabeth. The causes of her worry and trouble
were plain enough now. Esther Tidditt had declared that she and Phillips
were by no means as friendly as they had been. Of course not. She, too,
had been forced to realize what almost every one else had seen before,
the influence which the fellow had obtained over her mother. Her visit
to Bradley and her questions concerning the safety of securities in the
bank's vaults were almost proof positive that she knew Egbert had those
bonds and perhaps feared he might get the others. He should not get them
if Sears Kendrick could help it. She had asked his pardon, she had
confessed that he was right and that she had been wrong. She believed in
him again. Well, in return he would fight his ba