onor,
and not only honor, but technical innocence, I have the utmost
confidence."

"You have undertaken his defence, and I am sure he is in very good
hands," said Sydney with a rather cynical smile. "But, perhaps, the less
said the better as to the honor of a married man who, under false
pretenses, dares to pay attentions to an unmarried lady."

"Believe me you are mistaken! Alan Walcott has done nothing of the
kind."

"He has done enough to create a scandal. You are not denying that his
attitude has been such as to bring the name of the lady forward in a
most objectionable manner, without the slightest contribution on her
part to such a misfortune?"

"I do deny it, most emphatically, and I beg you to disabuse your mind of
the idea. What possible ground can you have for such a charge? The mere
tipsy ravings of this unfaithful wife--whom I should probably have no
difficulty in proving insane, as well as unfaithful and intemperate.
What is actually known is that she has been heard by the police, on one
or two occasions, referring by name to this lady. How far would you as a
lawyer, Mr. Campion, allow that fact to have weight as evidence in
support of the charge? And can you mention, beyond that, one tittle of
evidence of any kind?"

Sydney shrugged his shoulders.

"We are not considering evidence as you know very well. We are talking
as two men of the world, quite competent to draw the right deduction
from admitted facts. I say that when a lady has been so grievously
insulted as Miss Campion has been, under circumstances of such great
aggravation, the man who has brought that indignity upon her, however
indirectly, must be held directly responsible for his conduct."

"It is useless to argue the point--the more so as I fancy that Mr.
Walcott himself would be very much inclined to agree with you--which I
am not. He most bitterly regrets the annoyance to which Miss Campion has
been subjected, and regards it as the greatest of all the injuries
inflicted upon him by his degraded wife. Having said this on his behalf,
let me add that any charge brought against him on this score, by that
woman or by anyone else, is absolutely without foundation, and that we
shall know how to defend his reputation, in or out of court, whenever
and by whomsoever it may be attacked."

"Your warmth does you credit, Mr. Larmer. I will be equally frank with
you. You speak as a friend, I speak as a brother. After all that has
happened I do no