.

Early the next day he was up, and after paying a visit to his patient,
he turned his steps, or the steps of his horse, in the direction of
the villa.

He found Madeline sitting up, feeling much better, and looking
altogether lovely. Drawing their chairs near together in front of the
crackling grate fire, the three discussed the result of the journey to
Bellair. Having first related the news imparted by Hagar, Dr. Vaughan
turned to Madeline and asked:

"What is your theory, sister mine, in regard to this change at Oakley?
Why have they turned about and taken up Miss Arthur and her _fiance_
with such sudden affection. Have you guessed?"

The girl smiled up at him as she replied: "Certainly; have not you?"

"You incorrigible little lawyer! Yes, but give us yours first."

"Why," said Madeline with a light laugh, "I suppose they have been
suspecting the wrong party. They think that I was an emissary of Mr.
Percy's."

"Undoubtedly that is the truth," assented Clarence.

"And," added Madeline, "believing the documents in his possession, it
is easy to understand that they prefer having the gentleman under the
same roof with themselves."

"True; now, the question that interests us is, how long will it be
before they find out their mistake?"

"I think," said the girl, reflectively, "that their game will be
covert, not open, attack, from the fact that they have kept the loss
of the papers so carefully from the servants. If this is true, they
will move cautiously, and aim to convince the man that they do not
suspect him."

Clarence nodded.

"You see the necessity for action, do you not?" Madeline said, after a
silence. "I must make my next move within a few days."

"I don't fancy that we need fear any new developments that will be
dangerous to our cause just yet."

Then he told them of his meeting with the detective, and its results,
adding: "You see, Jarvis can withhold his reports to suit our
convenience, and you can grow strong, feeling secure."

Meantime, Jarvis set about his task of record hunting. He was
energetic and resolute as a sleuth hound on the scent; so he soon made
one or two discoveries.

One day, very cleverly gotten upon as a dapper lawyer, he dropped in
at the office of Messrs. Lord & Myers, bankers. Mr. Lord was an old
man with a shrewd, twinkling eye; and as the sham lawyer had selected
his time wisely, he found the old banker alone.

They were closeted in close converse for nearly hal