" Oh, I don't know. How is one going to tell what the truth is ? " " At any rate, we are sure now that Coleman had nothing to do with Nora's debut in Epirus." They had talked much of Coleman, but in their tones there always had been a note of indifference or carelessness. This matter, which to some people was as vital and fundamental as existence, remained to others who knew of it only a harmless detail of life, with no terrible powers, and its significance had faded greatly when had ended the close associat.ions of the late adventure. After dinner the professor had gone directly to his daughter's room. Apparently she had not moved. He knelt by the bedside again and took one of her hands. She was not weeping. She looked at him and smiled through the darkness. " Daddy, I would like to die," she said. " I think-yes-I would like to die." For a long time the old man was silent, but he arose at last with a definite abruptness and said hoarsely " Wait! " Mrs. Wainwright was standing before her mirror with her elbows thrust out at angles above her head, while her fingers moved in a disarrangement of 'her hair. In the glass she saw a reflection of her husband coming from Marjory's room, and his face was set with some kind of alarming purpose. She turned to watch him actually, but he walked toward the door into the corridor and did not in any wise heed her. " Harrison! " she called. " Where are you going? " He turned a troubled face upon her, and, as if she had hailed him in his sleep, he vacantly said: "What ? " "Where are you going?" she demanded with increasing trepidation. He dropped heavily into a chair. "Going?" he repeated. She was angry. "Yes! Going? Where are you going? " "I am going-" he answered, "I am going to see Rufus Coleman." Mrs. Wainwright gave voice to a muffled scream. " Not about Marjory ? " "Yes," he said, "about Marjory." It was now Mrs. Wainwright's turn to look at her husband with an air of stupefaction as if he had opened up to her visions of imbecility of which she had not even dreamed. " About Marjory!" she gurgled. Then suddenly her wrath flamed out. "Well, upon my word, Harrison Wainwright, you are, of all men in the world, the most silly and stupid. You are absolutely beyond belief. Of all projects! And what do you think Marjory would have to say of it if she knew it ? I suppose you think she would like it ? Why, I tell you she would keep her right hand in the fire until it was burned off before she would allow you to do such a thing." " She must never know it," responded the professor, in dull misery. " Then think of yourself! Think of the shame of it! The shame of it ! " The professor raised his eyes for an ironical glance at his wife. " Oh I have thought of the shame of it!" " And you'll accomplish nothing," cried Mrs. Wain- wright. " You'll accomplish nothing. He'll only laugh at you." " If he laughs at me, he will laugh at nothing but a poor, weak, unworldly old man. It is my duty to go."