"And do you think there can be any doubt about which of these two it will be?" she inquired, with sudden emotion. "There is always doubt," he rejoined, "about any thing or every thing a body of men may do. This is a very remarkable case, Imogene," he resumed, with increased sombreness; "the most remarkable one, perhaps, that has ever come under my observation. What the Grand Jury will think of it; upon which party, Mansell or Hildreth, the weight of their suspicion will fall, neither I nor Ferris, nor any other man, can prophesy with any assurance. The evidence against both is, in so far as we know, entirely circumstantial. That you believe Mr. Mansell to be the guilty party----" "Believe!" she murmured; "I know it." "That you _believe_ him to be the guilty party," the wary lawyer pursued, as if he had not heard her "does not imply that they will believe it too. Hildreth comes of a bad stock, and his late attempt at suicide tells wonderfully against him; yet, the facts you have to give in Mansell's disfavor are strong also, and Heaven only knows what the upshot will be. However, a few weeks will determine all that, and then----" Pausing, he looked at her, and, as he did so, the austerity and self-command of the lawyer vanished out of sight, and the passionate gleam of a fierce and overmastering love shone again in his eyes. "And then," he cried, "then we will see what Tremont Orcutt can do to bring order out of this chaos." There was so much resolve in his look, such a hint of promise in his tone, that she flushed with something almost akin to hope. "Oh, generous----" she began. But he stopped her before she could say more. "Wait," he repeated; "wait till we see what action will be taken by the Grand Jury." And taking her hand, he looked earnestly, if not passionately, in her face. "Imogene," he commenced, "if I should succeed----" But there he himself stopped short with a quick recalling of his own words, perhaps. "No," he cried, "I will say no more till we see which of these two men is to be brought to trial." And, pressing her hand to his lips, he gave her one last look in which was concentrated all the secret passions which had been called forth by this hour, and hastily left the room. XXIV. A TRUE BILL. Come to me, friend or foe, And tell me who is victor, York or Warwick.--HENRY VI. THE town of Sibley was in a state of excitement. About the court-house especially the crowd was great and the interest manifested intense. The Grand Jury was in session, and the case of the Widow Clemmens was before it.