y would strenuously argue that I am
innocent of the old charge. His friendship for me, and his pride at
winning his first great case, would prompt him thus. But were he to
hear your suspicions, like you, he would believe that both women died
similarly, and he would not only be apt to accept your theory of
Madame's death, but he might also come to think that I had murdered
Mabel also."

"So! You admit there is some potency in my charge, after all."

"You would fail with a jury, but you would convince Judge Dudley, and
that would forever prevent him from consenting to this marriage. He
would move heaven and earth to stop his daughter from marrying the son
of one whom he believed to be a murderer. Thus you see the disaster
that threatens, if you pursue your course. You would blast the lives
of two people, who love one another."

"Duty cannot consider sentiment!" said Mr. Barnes, though in his heart
he was already sorry that he suspected, and that he had followed up
his suspicion.

"Leon now troubles himself because he does not known who his father
is," continued the Doctor, without noticing what Mr. Barnes had said.
"It would be far worse for him to know his father, and then believe
him to be a murderer, and even that he had himself supplied a clue
against him. It would be too horrible! Agnes too would suffer. She
might abandon her love, from a sense of duty to her father, but her
heart would be broken, and all the bright promises of her youth
crushed. No! No! It must not, it shall not be!" The Doctor became
excited towards the end, and Mr. Barnes was startled at his manner.

"What will you do?" he asked, feeling constrained to say something.

"Place myself beyond the reach of the law, as I said before. But not
by suicide, as you suggested. Do you not see that my only reason for
avoiding the trial which would follow your accusation is, that I do
not wish the knowledge to reach those three persons, in whose welfare
my whole heart is centred? Suicide would be a confession of guilt. It
is the hackneyed refuge of the detected criminal who lacks brains, and
of the story writer, who, having made his villain an interesting
character, spares the feelings of his readers by not sending him to
prison, or to the gallows. Nor do I contemplate flight, because the
effect would be the same."

"Then how do you purpose evading the law?" Mr. Barnes was intensely
interested, and curious to know the plans of this singularly
resourcefu