say anything to cause you to think that
she suspected us?"

"No," shortly; "why should she? She never saw either of us until
yesterday."

"What do you think brought her back here just now?"

"It's easy enough to see why she came back. She has heard of the
insanity of Mr. Arthur, and has come, as she said, to take possession
of her own."

Another pause; then Cora said: "Is the Professor 'up' to anything
new?"

"No."

"Then don't let him take the alarm. It would hurt us. We can't run
now, and I don't think we have much to fear. We will lose the
money--that's all."

Lucian looked out upon the evergreens and graveled walks of Oakley,
and said, under his breath: "Will we?"

Then he turned upon his heel and sauntered out of the room.

The question that was then uppermost in his mind, the question that
had been since the first shock of her reappearance had given him time
to think, was, why had Madeline returned to Oakley?

Was it, as she alleged, because she had changed her mind, and wanted
to be mistress of her own? Or was it because he was there? If he could
convince himself that the latter reason was the true one, then he
would know how to act.

She had kept herself informed of affairs at Oakley. Then she must have
known of the fact that the so-called brother of John Arthur's wife was
Lucian Davlin. She must have known that. Of course she knew it. Did
not her manner on the evening of her arrival prove that? Not for one
instant did she lose her self-possession. Had his presence been
unexpected, she could hardly have restrained every sign of emotion, of
recognition. Clearly, she was prepared for their meeting.

Ah! now he was getting at things. If she came to Oakley, knowing him
to be established there as a member of the family, she came
_expecting_ to meet him. She was not afraid of him, then. She was not
averse to meeting him. Perhaps--he began to think it highly
probable--she came solely to meet him. If so, did she come for love,
or--for revenge?

If she came for revenge why did she not denounce him? But no, she
would hardly do that. What woman would? But she might have assumed
toward him a more hostile attitude.

Finally, his masculine vanity helped him to a conclusion. A woman
seldom forgets her first love so easily, and he could meet her so
differently now. She had _not_ forgotten her love for him. He could
win it back, and her forgiveness with it. And then--then, if he could
but manage Cora, what