lose
confidence in you, and feel that you have failed me in the most
desperate emergency of my life."

"The most desperate emergency of _your_ life, Madge?"

"Yes; of _my_ life," she replied, her voice choking with sobs, for the
strain was growing too great for her nerve-force to resist. "You give
way to senseless anger; you inveigh against Graydon, when he has
only acted honorably, and has been deceived; you refuse to do the one
simple, rational thing that will avert this trouble and bring safety
to us all."

"Why, Madge, if I fail, this speculator will drop Graydon at once.
Scott! this fact alone would be large compensation."

"If you were cool--if you were yourself--you could save Graydon in
every way. I want to see him go on in life, prosperous and happy, not
thwarted and disheartened almost at its beginning. Oh, why won't you?
Why _won't_ you?" and she wrung her hands in distress.

"Is Graydon so very much to you, Madge?" he asked, in a wondering
tone.

"Hush!" she said, imperiously; "there are things which no man or woman
shall know or appear to know unless I reveal them. It's enough that
I am trying to save you all, and my own peace of mind. Henry Muir, I
will not be denied. There are moments when a woman feels and _knows_
what is right, while a man, with his narrow, cast-iron rules, would
ruin everything. You _must_ carry out my wish, and Graydon must know
_nothing_ about it. Oh, God! that I were a man!"

"Thank God, you are a woman! Child as you are, compared with my years
and experience, you shall have your own way. I will this once put my
lifelong principle under my feet, and if the future house of Muir &
Brother is saved, you shall save it."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, Henry! Now see how happy I am. I have but
one stipulation--the 'brother' must not know it. We shall go on the
first train, shall we not?"

"Yes. You can say you want to do some shopping. Come, we have been
away from Mary too long already. Oh, Madge, Madge, would that there
were more girls like you!"

CHAPTER XXXI

CHECKMATE

"Well," exclaimed Mrs. Muir, when they appeared at last; "I thought
you and Madge had eloped!"

"We are going to to-morrow by first train," said the young girl.
"Henry says he must return to town for the day, and I shall accompany
him to do some shopping."

"Now, Henry, this is too bad, and I've scarcely seen you this
evening."

"I'm truly sorry, Mary; I did look forward to a good quiet day w