“He paid me well for my trouble. I am poor, so poor, and I was afraid that I might be accused of stealing the letter. He himself spirited this lying woman away. And I am to be sacrificed! The public shall be my generous jury. I will tell the story to the whole world. You dare not ruin me!” Conyers’ eyes met his beloved one’s in an awkward silence. Then he returned once more to the attack. “There were the tell-tale wires and the criminal tapping of the telegraph and telephone.” Conyers was less harsh in his accusations now, for even Martha Wilmot was appalled by the Frenchwoman’s audacity. Justine Duprez felt firmer ground under her now. Her glib answer was ready! “Vreeland undoubtedly paid the letter-carrier and the janitor. He was madly determined to prevent the marriage with Alynton, at any cost. He knew that the Senator disliked him, and would soon cast him out. You can call those two men before me here. I will face the whole world, and tell them how the poor young man died for a love which he had been led into. Why did my mistress pick him up? For a summer’s amusement? The fine lady’s game. She drove poor Hathorn to madness. And, she is, of course, a fine lady!” Hugh Conyers was called from the room, leaving Elaine Willoughby trembling there, with her pale cheeks tinged with a sudden flame. There was no defense against this flood of vulgar abuse. Her soul recoiled at the threatened publicity. The sanctity of her heart was being violated by this brutal traitress, now alert in the defense of her liberty. And there were the dangerous secrets of the Sugar ring to keep! She was now paying the price of her own rashness. Conyers soon returned, and led his beautiful charge to the end of the room. “Alberg has escaped!” he whispered. “He sailed from Hoboken on a Norwegian tramp steamer to-day. Daly reports that Helms and Mulholland have been eagerly racing to confess. “Mulholland blames the drink curse, and says that Vreeland paid him to help steal a rival’s love-letters, ‘only to beat the game’ of that hated one. Helms stubbornly stands out and swears that Vreeland bribed the electrician to tap the wires so as to overhear Mrs. Willoughby’s lawyer talking over the impending marriage. So you see, the lying jade will have witnesses to back up her story.” “What must I do? Tell me, Hugh. You are my only friend,” faltered Elaine, grasping his arm convulsively. “There is my child. Think of the agony to her—the shame of such disclosures! My new-found darling!” “Yes, and there are the newspaper scandals to fear—the worst feature. We could not try these people and dare to openly prove the real facts. Even a French maid’s gossip and babble can find believers,” sadly said Hugh, with averted eyes. He well knew the callous gossips! “You would only estrange Alynton, plunge your daughter into a useless sorrow, and your whole life story would be bruited abroad. I can not bear to see you disgraced, Elaine,” he faltered.