that if she had followed those
instructions she would have defrauded her own mother out of millions;
that she would have ruined her own life and conferred her father's
fortune upon the very man who was deceiving her?"

"No, I do not," replied Wiley, "but even if I did, that has nothing to
do with the case. As to my relations with Miss Huff, I am fully
satisfied that she has nothing of which to complain; and since it was
you, and the rest of the gang, who stood to lose by the deal, your
indignation seems rather far-fetched. If you were sorry for Miss Huff
and wished to help her you have abundant private means for doing so; but
when you dissuade her from her purpose in order to save your own skin
you go up against the law. I'm going to take this to court and when the
evidence is heard I'm going to prove you a bunch of crooks. I don't
believe for a minute that Virginia turned against me. I know that she
offered you the money."

"Oh, you know, do you?" sneered Blount as his Directors rallied about
him. "Well, how are you going to prove it?"

"By her own word!" said Wiley. "I know her too well. You just talked her
out of it, afterward."

"So you think," taunted Blount, "that she offered the money in payment,
and demanded the delivery of the deed? And will you stand or fall on her
testimony?"

"Absolutely!" smiled Wiley, "and if she tells me she didn't do it I'll
never take the matter into court."

"Very well," replied Blount and turned towards the door, but the
Directors rushed in and caught him. They thrust their heads together in
a whispered, angry conference, now differing among themselves and now
flying back to catch Blount, but in the end he shook them all off. "No,
gentlemen," he said, "I have absolute confidence in the justice of my
case. If you stand to lose a little I stand to lose a great deal--and I
know she never asked for that deed!"

"Well, bring her in, then," they conceded reluctantly, and turned
venomous eyes upon Wiley. They knew him, and they feared him, and
especially with this girl; for he was smiling and waiting confidently.
But Blount was their czar, with his great block of stock pitted against
their tiny holdings, and they sat down to await the issue.

She came at last, ushered in through the back door by Blount, who smiled
benevolently; and her eyes leapt on the instant to meet Wiley's.

"Here is Miss Huff," announced Blount deliberately and the light died
in Wiley's shining eyes. He had w