a mother would have shown an anxious child. He held
her pressed closely to him for so long a time in silence that at last
she became frightened She sat upright and, placing a hand on either
shoulder, regarded him searchingly.

"Robert," she cried, aghast, "you don't believe--"

Then he told her the news which James Riley had brought him, and of his
efforts to learn more.

"No, dear, I don't believe it," Gorham finally answered her unfinished
question. "No power on earth could make me believe it until they proved
it; and even then no power could take you from me."

"But it must be proved one way or the other."

"There will be no need," Gorham replied, with a lightness he did not
feel; "I will find this man and will settle it for all time."

"How will you settle it, Robert?"

"He is doing this for money. Now that he has come out into the open, I
can take care of him."

"But that won't do, dear. If there is any question about the divorce,
your buying him off won't settle it, will it?"

"It must," was Gorham's decisive answer.

"It can't." Eleanor rose and regarded him with an infinite tenderness.
"It can't, Robert; you know it can't, dear. If the divorce is not legal,
then there was no marriage between us, and what Ralph Buckner says or
does cannot affect that. We must know the facts now, dear."

"In all probability the divorce was perfectly regular. It is questioned
now purely for blackmailing purposes; but I will submit to that, if
necessary, rather than have the matter go any further. Don't be quixotic
and play into the hands of these scoundrels who have gotten hold of
Buckner, and are trying to reach me through you, knowing well that this
is my vulnerable point."

Mrs. Gorham was so long silent that her husband felt his argument had
won.

"Eleanor," he said more calmly, "can you ever fully realize what you are
to me? All these gigantic transactions which have fallen to my lot mean
only so many contests with the world that I may bring my victories back
to you. The struggle is inspiring, the strife is intoxicating while it
is on, but how hollow the successes except for you! My life and all its
activities are centred about this one inmost shrine in which I mean to
keep you, unsullied by even the implied contamination which these
blackmailers would bring upon you. I will fight them with their own
weapons, and, thank God, I can ward off the blow."

"Robert--my Robert!" Mrs. Gorham's voice was low but maste