in
her complexion; nor was there visible in her bearing any trace of the
feverish excitement which had characterized it the evening before; yet
of all the eyes that were fixed upon her--and there were many in that
crowd whose only look a moment before had been one of heartless
curiosity--there were none which were not filled with compassion and
more or less dread.

Meanwhile, she remained like a statue on the spot where she had taken
her stand, and her eyes, which in her former examination had met the
court with the unflinching gaze of an automaton, were lowered till the
lashes swept her cheek.

"Miss Dare," asked the District Attorney, as soon as he could recover
from his own secret emotions of pity and regret, "will you tell us where
you were at the hour of noon on the morning Mrs. Clemmens was murdered?"

Before she could answer, before in fact her stiff and icy lips could
part, Mr. Orcutt had risen impetuously to his feet, like a man bound to
contend every step of the way with the unknown danger that menaced him.

"I object!" he cried, in the changed voice of a deeply disturbed man,
while those who had an interest in the prisoner at this juncture, could
not but notice that he, too, showed signs of suppressed feeling, and for
the first time since the beginning of the trial, absolutely found his
self-command insufficient to keep down the rush of color that swept up
to his swarthy cheek.

"The question," continued Mr. Orcutt, "is not to elicit testimony in
rebuttal."

"Will my learned friend allow the witness to give her answer, instead of
assuming what it is to be?"

"I will not," retorted his adversary. "A child could see that such a
question is not admissible at this stage of the case."

"I am sure my learned friend would not wish me to associate _him_ with
any such type of inexperience?" suggested Mr. Ferris, grimly.

But the sarcasm, which at one time would have called forth a stinging
retort from Mr. Orcutt, passed unheeded. The great lawyer was fighting
for his life, for his heart's life, for the love and hand of Imogene--a
recompense which at this moment her own unconsidered action, or the
constraining power of a conscience of whose might he had already
received such heart-rending manifestation, seemed about to snatch from
his grasp forever. Turning to the Judge, he said:

"I will not delay the case by bandying words with my esteemed friend,
but appeal at once to the Court as to whether the whereabo