racter he had all but
succeeded in rousing to dominance that best nature which existed within
her. He would privately tell Maggie the truth, and tell only her and
leave the using of that knowledge to her alone. The shock of that
knowledge, the effect of its revelations upon her, together with the
responsibility of what she should do with this information, might be
just the final forces necessary to make Maggie break away from all that
she had been and swing over to all that he believed she might be.

Yes, that was the thing to do! And he would do it within the next twelve
hours; for Dick had told him that Maggie was coming out again to Cedar
Crest on the afternoon of the day which was now rousing from its sleep.
That is, he would do it if the police or the allies of his one-time
friends did not locate him before Maggie came. But of that he had no
serious fear; he knew he had made a clean get-away from the Grantham,
and that the shrewd Duchess had left no scent by which those bloodhounds
of the Police Department could trail her.

Larry did not even try to sleep; he knew it would be of no avail. Back
in his own room he sat going over the situation, and his decision. He
tingled with the sense of the tremendous power which had been delivered
into his hands. Yes, tremendous! But what were going to be Maggie's
reactions the moment he told her?--just what would be her course after
she knew the truth?

CHAPTER XXX

Larry undressed, had a bath, shaved, dressed again, and started to
work. But that day the most Larry did was abstractedly going through
the motions of work. He was completely filled with the situation and its
many questions, and with the suspense of waiting for Maggie to come and
of how he was going to manage to see her privately.

The meeting, however, proved no difficulty; for Maggie, who arrived at
four, had come primarily on Larry's account and she herself maneuvered
the encounter. While they were on the piazza, Dick having gone into the
house for a fresh supply of cigarettes, and Miss Sherwood being in an
animated discussion with Hunt, Maggie said:

"Miss Sherwood, I've never had a real look down at the Sound from the
edge of your bluff. Do you mind if Mr. Brandon shows me?"

"Not at all. Tea won't be served for half an hour, so take your time.
Have Mr. Brandon show you the view from just the other side of that old
rose-bench; that's the best view."

They walked away chatting mechanically until