he was convinced of the futility of any such attempt. It would only
injure her cause. Shaking his head, he returned to where Paula stood.

"It isn't possible," he said, in an undertone. "That woman is behind the
door. A man is over at the gate. No, that's not the way. If you go at
all it must be through the front door, with head erect."

With a gesture of discouragement, Paula sank down on a chair.

"I can't stand it any longer," she cried, her face streaming with tears,
"it's unbearable--simply unbearable! Did you ever try to count the time
away? The first day I was here I determined not to think of my position.
I counted the seconds. I counted one, two, three, four, five
thousand--counted until I became exhausted. I thought I'd counted for
hours, but I found that barely one little hour had passed--one little
hour--and that the more I tried to forget my position the more
intolerable it became."

Almost beside himself, not knowing what to suggest next, the lawyer
strode nervously up and down the room. Each word she uttered was a
stinging reproach and a knife thrust in his heart. Yet could he do more
than he was doing? Stopping in front of her, he seized her burning hands
and held them firmly in his own.

"Paula--Paula!" he cried appealingly, "for God's sake don't go on that
way! I can't stand it. Try, try to bear up. The sun is shining somewhere
behind these clouds--if we could only see it! This darkness will only
last for a few days--a few hours--and then----"

"And then," she echoed with a hollow, mocking laugh. "Sometimes, when I
think of the frightful ordeal I shall be compelled to go through to
prove that I am entitled to my freedom, I--I feel unequal to the task--
I'm--I'm afraid--afraid----"

"You'll be all right--you'll come out triumphant!"

She shook her head doubtfully.

"How can I tell that I shall be able to convince these strangers? They
don't know me as--as you do. Suppose I don't make a good impression.
Suppose that the answers I make to their questions are not--not what
they consider intelligent. Suppose I become confused and lose control of
myself as I did before--what then?"

He held out his hand deprecatingly.

"Paula!"

"What then?" she demanded plaintively.

"It's impossible!" he answered. Entreatingly he went on: "Oh, Paula! for
God's sake don't let these gloomy thoughts get hold of your mind!"

"But they do get into my mind," she went on hoarsely. "How can I tell
for certain th