ons
with a young woman in Boston?"

Levi Markham took this blow characteristically: he sighed, raised his
eyes to the speaker's face, and said calmly:

"I thank you, madam, for your interest in my affairs. I can readily
see that you would not dare come to me with this matter unless you had
facts. I appreciate your good-will toward me and Lans, but I am just
wondering if this--this relationship of Sandford Morley's with a--with
the young woman, might not be viewed as leniently as Lansing's--if all
were known? He might call it by a new-fangled name, you know."

"Why, Mr. Markham! His intrigue is a low, vulgar thing. That is
exactly what I am trying to make you understand. The difference lies
right there. Lans is open and above-board; he's a gentleman. This
young Morley is----"

"Well, well, madam!" Levi held up his hand calmly silencing the
indignant voice. "I know Lansing has taken every one into his
confidence who chose to lend an ear; we have all shared his life
whether we approved or not and I will say this: young Morley has never
asked any one to play confessor for him, but I am going to give him an
opportunity to speak for himself if he wants to."

"He will lie, sir."

"He's the worst liar you ever saw, Mrs. Treadwell."

Just how to take this Olive Treadwell did not know. She was
distracted. She felt that Markham was playing with her! Perhaps he
knew all about Morley's escapades and preferred them to Lans' newer
ideals.

"You will investigate for yourself?" she pleaded; "in justice to Lans?"

"In my own way, Madam."

"You mean----"

"That I will look to my own interests as I always have. When all is
said and done, ma'am, there's no law in the State that confines me to
leaving my savings to any particular young man. I have still, I hope,
a few years to my credit. I promise you I will devote them to securing
the best possible good for the _trust_, as you so well put it, in my
keeping. You are quite right also in saying that I consider the power
of money-making a talent. It is my only talent and I do not
underestimate it."

"You are a--hard man, Markham. Time has not softened you."

"I will still endeavour to be just, madam. I will tell you this--if I
discover that I have been duped, I'll give, outright, a good sum of
money to you in trust for Lansing!"

"You think I--I have simply tried to blacken Morley's character for
personal gain?"

"No, no, Mrs. Treadwell. I ascribed the