Conway was speechless. He grasped his friend by the shoulder and turned him around, and then gripping him by the arm, marched him into the lighted hotel. “How did you know we were here?” again cried Jim, in joyful astonishment. “This is a godsend, Lester!” “I did not know you were here,” returned Conway. “I had no idea of it. Is Norine with you?” “Yes,” said the other gloomily, “she is upstairs.” “Then she knows?” “Yes; curse him!” replied Jim bitterly. “She knows.” “Tell me about it,” said Conway, regaining in a measure his calmness. “How did you hear of it?” “We did not hear of it,” returned Jim. “It was an accident all through;” and sitting down by his friend’s side, Jim told him of all the circumstances that had led to this strange meeting. “He was gone before I got there or knew anything about it,” said Jim meekly, as if he were to blame. “But I will find him to-day;” and the young man got up and paced excitedly up and down the office. Conway was in deep thought. “This Coleman is the one we must see first,” he said. “I think I can fix matters with him.” “A lawyer?” spluttered Jim, in great disgust. “What do we want of a lawyer now?” And then Conway in turn told his story, and they understood how it was that they had missed each other. “You see,” he added in conclusion, “it is better to understand the matter thoroughly before we act, and this lawyer may prove more useful than we think. Don’t be afraid,” he said, noting his friend’s impatience, “he will not get away from us this time.” As soon as possible, Norine was notified of her lover’s arrival, and desired to see him at once. Together they went sadly to her room, expecting to find her prostrate; but in this they were mistaken. Norine was very pale, but calm and self-possessed. “I am sorry for you, dear,” she said to her lover, when he entered. “I wish I might have spared you this.” Conway, for a moment, was speechless. He gathered Norine in his arms with a passion that was not to be repressed. “You forget,” she said, gently extricating herself from his passionate embrace; “you forget”--with a little quaver in her voice--“I am not what I thought.” “You are just what I have always thought,” replied Conway consolingly. “You are an angel.” “Oh, how can I tell?” cried Norine brokenly. “My God! If she is his wife, what am I?” “She is not his wife,” said her lover. “She is nothing to him in the eyes of the law.” “Oh, how can you tell?” she cried in anguish. “What do you really know?” Conway hastened to reassure her. “I know it all,” he said; and then he explained to her his trip to Chicago, and his interview with Lettie. “We will see this lawyer at once,” he said, “and then we will see Clinton.” “You will do him no harm?” pleaded Norine, laying her hand upon his arm as they were going out. “You will remember that he is my husband?” Conway winced. “I shall not kill him,” he said roughly.