stened to join Madeline, musing as she went:

"What could have induced that odd darling to confide in stupid little
me, while she leaves wise, thoughtful Olive in the dark?"

Madeline was pacing the floor when Claire entered the room. She
motioned her to a chair, and pushed the bolt in the door, thus
rendering intrusion impossible.

"What _can_ you be thinking of, Madeline, with that gloomy face?"
exclaimed Claire, nestling into an easy chair as she spoke.

"I am thinking, Claire," replied Madeline, gazing down at her sadly,
"of the first time I ever saw your sister, and of the errand on which
she came to me. How full of hope I was that morning! How radiant the
day seemed, and how confident I was of happiness to come; as confident
as you are to-day, Claire, darling."

There was something in Madeline's tone that sounded almost like pity,
as she uttered these last words. Claire started and colored, but still
was silent.

"Olive did a brave, generous deed, but at that time I almost hated her
for it," musingly.

"Oh, no, Madeline," interposed Claire, "you don't mean just that, I am
sure. You never really hated our noble, unhappy Olive."

"I felt very wicked, I assure you," smiling faintly. Then, abruptly:
"How should you have felt, similarly placed?"

"I?" wonderingly; "mercy! I can't tell."

"Claire, think," in a tone almost of entreaty. "I want to know--I must
know."

"You must know? Why, Madeline?"

"Because--because I want to find out what is in you; how strong you
are."

Claire looked more and more mystified. "State your case, then," she
said, quietly. "I will try and analyze myself."

"Good; now, Claire Keith, suppose that you love some man very much,
and you trust him without knowing why, for no other reason than that
you love him. When you are happiest, because you have but just parted
from your lover--"

Claire started and colored a little.

"When you are thinking of the time, not far away, when you shall not
part from him any more--suppose that just then I, a friend whom you
have loved, come to you and say: 'This hero of yours is false; he is a
two-faced villain; he has deceived you; he is not honorable; he will
betray you if he can.' What would you answer me?"

Claire lifted her head proudly. "I would make you take back every word
you had uttered, or prove it beyond the shadow of a doubt!"

"And if I proved it?"

"Then I would thank you; and hate myself for having been deceived, and
him