"How can I tell what is law?" she cried passionately. "If anybody had told me yesterday that the law gave a man a right to will away my child before it was born, I should have said he was mad! And when this other man comes and demands that child--as he will, I know he will!--how am I to know that the law does not give him the power to take him?" "Because I am telling you now that it does not. You can trust me if you can't the law. That isn't the danger to be feared." "What is?" she asked, quickly. "Just what I was telling you, that after due process of law the court might decide in favor of his claim--if he should press it--and I don't believe he will." "He will!" she said, hopelessly. "I know he will. You don't know how vindictively he looked at me." It was useless to argue against such logic as this, and he went away. When he was gone Margaret had the great door locked and bolted and gave orders that no one should be admitted. That night she slept fitfully, Philip in her arms. CHAPTER XIII THE WOLF BLOOD It was not until the next day that Judge Kirtley went to see Mr. De Jarnette. "I will give him an opportunity to sleep over it," he told his wife. "A man's sober second thought is always in the morning." But Richard De Jarnette's sleep had not been long enough nor sound enough to change his mind. "The stubbornness of the man is incredible," the Judge reported when he got home. "He's going to make us trouble--I can see that. He makes no accusation against Margaret. He doesn't try in the least to defame her character, but he says his brother undoubtedly had sufficient reasons for making such a will and that he shall carry out his wishes." "I suppose the small matter of Margaret's having borne the child is no reason why he should consult _her_ wishes," said Mrs. Kirtley, indignantly. "Apparently not. He simply ignores her." "What could he do with a baby? He can't take care of it! I can't see why he wants it." "It isn't that he wants it. This is not affection. But for some reason he is determined that Margaret shall not have it." "It is a dog-in-the-manger spirit!" "No." the Judge said, thoughtfully, "it isn't that." From long habit his judicial mind was weighing evidence on both sides. "I am convinced that he has some reason for this, but so far I haven't been able to get at it. I asked him plainly if he had anything against Margaret. He said he had no accusations to make. And indeed I don't see that he could make any. If ever in a case like this a woman has been absolutely blameless, that woman is Margaret." "What does he propose to do with the child?" "I asked him that. He says he shall leave him in charge of the old woman who has taken care of him all his life, but he intends to take them to his home. He says she is perfectly competent and trustworthy--" "Well, that is true," acknowledged Mrs. Kirtley. "I never saw a more faithful nurse."