ce meant his disgrace--God! was that why she had consented
to the hurried marriage?--to shield herself under his name, and to
influence his favor for her lover?

The spirit of murder leaped in his heart as he thought of it! He
heard Gertrude send to the library for Margeret, and he sent word to
Masterson he was detained and would continue the investigation later.
When Pluto returned, after delivering the message, he inquired if
Madame Caron was yet in the library, and Pluto informed him Madame
Caron had gone to her room some time ago; no one was in the library
now, the gentleman had gone back to the cottage.

He meant to see her alone before speaking again with Monroe, to know
the worst, whatever it was, and then--

He used a magnifying glass to study the little picture; he took it
from the frame and examined the frame itself. The statement of Monroe
as to its age seemed verified. Certain things in the face were
strange, but certain other things were wonderfully like Judithe as a
happy, care-free girl--had she ever been such a girl?

The chance that, after all, the picture was not hers gave him a sudden
hope that the other things, purely circumstantial, might also diminish
on closer examination; the picture had, to him, been the strongest
evidence against her; a jealous fury had taken possession of him at
the sight of it; he was conscious that his personal feelings unfitted
him for the judicial position forced upon him, and that he must
somehow conquer them before continuing any examination.

An hour had passed; he had decided the picture was not that of his
wife, but if Monroe were not her lover, why did he treasure so a
likeness resembling her? And if she were not in love with him, why
ignore their former acquaintance, and why intercede for him so
persistently?

All those thoughts walked beside him as he strode up and down the
room, and beyond them all was the glory of her eyes and the
remembrance of her words: _"Whatever you think of me when you know
all, I want you to know that I love you--I love you!"_

They were the words he had waited for through long days and nights;
they had come to him at last, and after all--

A knock sounded on the door and Pluto entered with a large sealed
envelope on which his name was written.

"From Madame Caron, sah; she done tole me to put it in yo' own han',"
he said.

When alone again he opened the envelope. Several papers were in it.
The first he unfolded was addressed