ked copy.
And I went there once when I thought he had invited a crowd to see some
tapestries. There was no one else there. There is just so much truth in
it."

"Would you rather that we should not see it?" asked Mr. Lenox.

"I'm afraid every one will see it," said Madeline shamefacedly, as she
held out the guilty pages. The three men leaned their heads over the
table with a curiosity that would have done credit to women, while Ram
Juna still looked on.

"I have already beheld the writing," he said suavely. "Mr. Early gave
way to unwonted anger when he saw. The lady must have an enemy."

"That is it," cried Madeline, turning upon him swiftly. "I think I am
not so much hurt by the scandal--every one who knows me will believe
better of me--but what cuts is that there should be some one who wants
to hurt me. I--I've always thought of the world as a friendly place. Who
is it that hates me?"

"Bah, it is a very small enemy who seeks small revenge," said the Swami,
whose own heart was filled with contempt and irritation. This was not
according to his plan. "In India, we do not so revenge."

Mr. Lenox stepped back to the fireplace, from which point a man always
surveys the world at an advantage.

"It isn't worth an extra heart-beat, Miss Elton," he said. "Ignore it
and your world will promptly forget it."

"But, Mr. Lenox, you do not understand. It is not the question of the
truth or falsehood of the story that shakes me. As you say, that is too
absurd. But I shall always wonder who is my enemy, and why."

Norris was looking at her with awakened terror. With the intuition of
love, he had read the processes of her self-conquest at the time of
Dick's marriage. But here was a new possibility. Could it be that this
fair and delicate creature was now to be enwoofed by Sebastian Early,
whom at this juncture Ellery characterized to himself as a "fat toad"?
He made up his mind that it would not do to trust, as he had been doing,
to time to stand his friend. He must also bestir himself.

"I wonder," he said aloud, "I wonder if Miss Huntress knows anything
about it. I have a dim idea that some one told me that she wrote things
for the _Chatterer_. Our society editor, you know."

"But even if she did dislike me--and I don't know her from Adam--how
could she know?" said Madeline, turning on him. "You see I was alone
with Mr. Early, and I am sure, for certain reasons," here Ellery was
horrified to see a little flush creeping ov