surprise in
seeing her.

"I have been expecting you," he said; "I thought you would be
brought back by all this."

"Then you have heard what they are saying about Rowan?"

"I suppose we have all heard," he replied, looking at her
sorrowfully.

"You have not believed these things?"

"I have denied them as far as I could. I should have denied that
anything had occurred; but you remember I could not do that after
what you told me. You said something had occurred."

"Yes, I know," she said. "But you now have my authority at least
to say that these things are not true. What I planned for the best
has been misused and turned against him and against me. Have you
seen him?"

"He has been in town, but I have not seen him."

"Then you must see him at once. Tell me one thing: have you heard
it said that I am responsible for the circulation of these stories?"

"Yes."

"Do you suppose he has heard that? And could he believe it? Yet
might he not believe it? But how could he, how could he!"

"You must come here and stay with us. Anna will want you." He
could not tell her his reason for understanding that she would not
wish to stay at home.

"No, I should like to come; but it is better for me to stay at
home. But I wish Rowan to come to see me here. Judge Morris--has
he done nothing?"

"He does not know. No one has told him."

Her expression showed that she did not understand.

"Years ago, when he was about Rowan's age, scandals like these were
circulated about him. We know how much his life is wrapped up In
Rowan. He has not been well this summer: we spared him."

"But you must tell him at once. Say that I beg him to write to
Rowan to come to see him. I want Rowan to tell him everything--and
to tell you everything."

All the next day Judge Morris stayed in his rooms. The end of life
seemed suddenly to have been bent around until it touched the
beginning. At last he understood.

"It was _she_ then," he said. "I always suspected her; but I had
no proof of her guilt; and if she had not been guilty, she could
never have proved her innocence. And now for years she has smiled
at me, clasped my hands, whispered into my ear, laughed in my eyes,
seemed to be everything to me that was true. Well, she has been
everything that is false. And now she has fallen upon the son of
the woman whom she tore from me. And the vultures of scandal are
tearing at his heart. And he will never be able to pro