ng a bit of my history. Have
you the patience?"

What a question! Lucky it was for me this day that I could combine
business with the delight of revelling in this agreeable _tete-a-tete_.
It was lucky, in truth, for all who were being drawn into the web of the
Page affair. For if the two had not fitted so smoothly together, the
interests of the Central Office would have been forgotten.

She colored prettily at the ardor of my gaze--it was of no use; I could
n't help it--but save for the circumstance that she temporarily averted
her look from mine, went steadily ahead with what she had to say.

"I have been an orphan ever since I can remember, though my father and
mother are not even memories. They fell victims to yellow fever in New
Orleans before I was two years old. Uncle Alfred took me at once into
his household, which has been my home all of my life that I know anything
about.

"I am two years older than Belle, but reared together as we have been, we
are more nearly sisters than cousins. Indeed, I even believe that we are
closer together than most sisters; we love each other very, very dearly.

"You can see, then, how anything affecting her will equally affect me.
Belle has been gently nurtured; she is a proud, high-spirited, intrepid
girl, but of a delicate organism that would break beneath the shock of
Royal Maillot being stigmatized by such a crime. I tremble to think of
it!"

Her look was again bent upon me, with utmost gravity now, and her voice
broke a little as she concluded:

"Can you comprehend my anxiety, Mr. Swift? Can't you see that I would
make any sacrifice to forestall such a dreadful chance?"

In spite of her reserved nature and admirable habit of self-control, it
was easy to see that she was deeply affected; she was, indeed, torn by
conflicting doubts and anxieties; and I became meditative and, for her
sake, exceedingly desirous of lightening the burden of her worry.

That very beautiful and very wilful young lady, her cousin, would never
have made such an appeal to me. I did not care to conjecture the way in
which she, long before this stage of the conversation, would have been
expressing her indignation and withering me with her scorn and contempt.

"Miss Cooper," said I at length, "assume for just a moment that Mr.
Maillot _is_ guilty: would you counsel me, for the reasons you have
stated, to turn aside from my duty and permit him to go unpunished?"

She caught her breath sha