ughtfully.

And, observing this, the eyes of the woman showed that, so far, toward
the unfortunate incident the attitude of the district attorney was to
her most gratifying.

Wharton ceased frowning.

"How fixed?" he asked.

Mrs. Earle shrugged her shoulders.

"Cutler's idea is money," she said; "but, believe _me_, he's wrong. This
girl is a vampire. She'll only come back to you for more. She'll keep on
threatening to tell the wife, to tell the papers. The way to fix _her_
is to throw a scare into her. And there's only one man can do that;
there's only one man that can hush this thing up--that's you."

"When can I see her?" asked Wharton.

"Now," said the woman. "I'll bring her."

Wharton could not suppress an involuntary start.

"Here?" he exclaimed.

For the shade of a second Mrs. Earle exhibited the slightest evidence of
embarrassment.

"My room's in a mess," she explained; "and she's not hurt so much as
Sammy said. He told her she was in bad just to keep her quiet until you
got here."

Mrs. Earle opened one of the doors leading from the room. "I won't be a
minute," she said. Quietly she closed the door behind her.

Upon her disappearance the manner of the district attorney underwent an
abrupt change. He ran softly to the door opposite the one through which
Mrs. Earle had passed, and pulled it open. But, if beyond it he expected
to find an audience of eavesdroppers, he was disappointed. The room was
empty--and bore no evidence of recent occupation. He closed the door,
and, from the roller-top desk, snatching a piece of paper, scribbled
upon it hastily. Wrapping the paper around a coin, and holding it
exposed to view, he showed himself at the window. Below him, to an
increasing circle of hens and pigeons, Nolan was still scattering
crumbs. Without withdrawing his gaze from them, the chauffeur nodded.
Wharton opened his hand and the note fell into the yard. Behind him he
heard the murmur of voices, the sobs of a woman in pain, and the rattle
of a doorknob. As from the window he turned quickly, he saw that toward
the spot where his note had fallen Nolan was tossing the last remnants
of his sandwich.

The girl who entered with Mrs. Earle, leaning on her and supported by
her, was tall and fair. Around her shoulders her blond hair hung in
disorder, and around her waist, under the kimono Mrs. Earle had thrown
about her, were wrapped many layers of bandages. The girl moved
unsteadily and sank into a chair.