thing! And I would stop at nothing to make him happy. I'd lay
down my life, willingly, to bring joy into his heart. But do you
understand? Do you know the truth?"

"What truth?" asked Mary. "I do not quite understand you. Do I
believe Paul guilty? No, I don't. He could never do such a thing.
He's too great, too noble."

"Do you say that? You?"

"Yes," replied Mary. "I am sure he never did such a thing. He's
simply incapable of it. You know it, too, don't you? Of course you
do."

"Then you take no notice of the evidence?"

"What's evidence?" asked the girl. "The one thing I'm sure of is that
Paul never did what he is accused of. He simply couldn't."

"And you're _his_ child!" said Paul's mother. "_His_ child. Let me
look at you again." She scrutinised Mary's face feature by feature.
She seemed to be looking for something.

"You're a good lass," she said presently. "And you love Paul, don't
you?"

"Yes," replied the girl, "I do." There seemed nothing incongruous in
the confession, nothing strange in making it to the woman to whom she
was speaking for the first time. And yet the interview was
bewildering. Her thoughts, as she found her way along the grimy
street, were clear enough. Now they were being scattered to the winds.
Neither could she adhere to her resolution. How could she accuse this
woman of such a terrible deed?

"What have you come here for?" asked Paul's mother presently.

"Need you ask?" asked Mary. "I've come to you because we must save
Paul."

"Do you think Paul needs our help?" asked the other. "When the time
comes Paul will clear himself. You do not know what a clever lad he
is. I know what is being said about him. I read it all in the papers,
but I don't fear. Paul is cleverer than all of them put together, and,
of course, he never did it; he'll surely come triumphant out of this.
Oh, I know it's terrible for him; but it's not that that makes me fear,
it's something else!"

Again Mary's eyes met those of the other, and she was sure she detected
a look of madness. The woman's mind was unhinged. She was not
altogether responsible for what she was saying.

"No, it's not that," continued Paul's mother. "It's not that. Paul is
so clever that he will beat them all."

"Not unless the real murderer confesses," replied Mary. "You see, I
know what Law Courts are, and what juries are, and I've read every word
of the evidence, and unless the real murderer is fou