ative to where she had
been at the time it was perpetrated would, in all probability, bring
strange revelations to light, he had been awakened to a most
uncomfortable sense of his position and the duty that was possibly
required of him. To be sure, the time for presenting testimony to the
court was passed, unless it was in the way of rebuttal; but how did he
know but what Miss Dare had a fact at her command which would help the
prosecution in overturning the strange, unexpected, yet simple theory of
the defence? At all events, he felt he ought to know whether, in giving
her testimony she had exhausted her knowledge on this subject, or
whether, in her sympathy for the accused, she had kept back certain
evidence which if presented might bring the crime more directly home to
the prisoner. Accordingly, somewhere toward eight o'clock in the
evening, he sought her out with the bold resolution of forcing her to
satisfy him on this point.

He did not find his task so easy, however, when he came into direct
contact with her stately and far from encouraging presence, and met the
look of surprise not unmixed with alarm with which she greeted him. She
looked very weary, too, and yet unnaturally excited, as if she had not
slept for many nights, if indeed she had rested at all since the trial
began. It struck him as cruel to further disturb this woman, and yet the
longer he surveyed her, the more he studied her pale, haughty,
inscrutable face, he became the more assured that he would never feel
satisfied with himself if he did not give her an immediate opportunity
to disperse at once and forever these freshly awakened doubts.

His attitude or possibly his expression must have betrayed something of
his anxiety if not of his resolve, for her countenance fell as she
watched him, and her voice sounded quite unnatural as she strove to ask
to what she was indebted for this unexpected visit.

He did not keep her in suspense.

"Miss Dare," said he, not without kindness, for he was very sorry for
this woman, despite the inevitable prejudice which her relations to the
accused had awakened, "I would have given much not to have been obliged
to disturb you to-night, but my duty would not allow it. There is a
question which I have hitherto omitted to ask----"

He paused, shocked; she was swaying from side to side before his eyes,
and seemed indeed about to fall. But at the outreaching of his hand she
recovered herself and stood erect, the nob