ength of the
statements contained in the affidavits to protect him from personal
violence, yet he half suspected Gorham's purpose when he rose. His host,
however, walked quietly to the wall and pressed the button, then
noiselessly resumed his seat. The awful silence was in itself a strain
on Covington. He wished Gorham would speak, even though he thought he
knew the nature of what those first words would be. Presently Riley
opened the door.

"Ask Mrs. Gorham and Miss Alice to come here, Riley."

"Not Alice!" Covington cried.

Again silence pervaded the room, Gorham rereading the papers, and
Covington still drumming on the arm of his chair. As Eleanor and Alice
entered they greeted Covington cordially, but he drew back without
accepting the outstretched hands.

"We have a matter to discuss which affects us all," Gorham said, handing
Eleanor one of the papers. "Please read this, but make no comment until
later."

The first few words conveyed its nature to her, and she swayed for a
moment as if she might fall. Alice sprang to her side.

"What is it, Eleanor,--let me read it with you. Shall I, daddy?"

Gorham nodded. When they had finished, Eleanor started to speak, but her
husband checked her. The momentary faintness had passed, and she stood
erect, eager for the word from Gorham which would permit her to break
the silence.

"Where did this come from?" Alice demanded.

"Mr. Covington just brought it to me."

"What did you do to the man who dared to draw it up?" she asked
indignantly of Covington.

"Mr. Covington is the man who had it drawn up," her father answered.
"Now we will listen to what he has to say about it."

The man squared himself for the issue.

"You have read it," he said huskily, "and you value your wife's
reputation?"

"Yes, beyond anything and everything else."

"Beyond the Consolidated Companies and the gratification of injuring me
with the committee?"

"Yes."

Covington gained confidence from the ease with which all was moving. A
few minutes more of this as against a lifetime of wealth and power! It
was worth the degradation. "It is sometimes necessary to walk through
filth and slime to attain high places," he remembered Gorham had once
told him.

"Would you agree to stand one side and give me this chance, rather than
have a blemish on your wife's name made public?"

"Yes," was the firm reply.

Eleanor had lived a century during the conversation. Sitting now in the
shadow of t