true; Mr. Goddard supposed the marriage to have been legal,
because, at the time he deserted his lovely wife for Miss Correlli, he
did not know that he was lawfully bound to her. But, later, both he
and your sister learned the truth, and the secret of their unfortunate
relations embittered the lives of both, especially after they
discovered that the real Mrs. Goddard is still living," Roy exclaimed.

"How do you know this?" hoarsely demanded his companion.

"I have recently seen and conversed with Mrs. Goddard, and all the
facts of her history are in my possession."

"Who is she? Under what name is she known?"

"That is a question that I must refuse to answer, as the revelation of
the lady's identity cannot affect the case in hand; unless--it should
come before the courts and the truth be forced from me," Roy replied.

"Then why have you told me this wretched story?" cried the man, almost
savagely.

"A lawyer, in fighting his cases, is often obliged to use a variety of
weapons," was the significant response. "I thought it might be just as
well to warn you, at the outset, that your sister's reputation might
suffer in the event of a lawsuit, during which much might be revealed
which otherwise would remain a secret among ourselves."

To convince Correlli of the truth of his disclosures Mr. Bryant
announced that he had in his possession, at that moment, a copy of
Mrs. Goddard's confession, and proceeded to read it, having first
declared that the original was in his office safe.

Emil Correlli, was ghastly white when Roy stopped, after reading the
entire confession. He realized that his case was hopeless; that he had
been ignominiously defeated in his scheme to possess Edith, and
nothing remained to him but to submit to the inevitable.

"Now I have just one question to ask you, Mr. Correlli," Roy remarked,
as he refolded the paper and laid it upon the table for him to examine
at his leisure. "What is your decision? Will you still contest the
point of Miss Allandale's freedom, or will you quietly withdraw your
claim, and allow it to be publicly announced, through the Boston
papers, that that ceremony in Wyoming was simply a farce after all?"

"You leave me no choice," was the sullen response; "but," with a
murderous gleam in his dusky eyes, "if you had brought the original
confession with you to-day, you would never have gone out of this
house with it in your possession."

"Excuse me for contradicting you, sir; b