"Sure enough! sure enough!" cried the captain, thumping his knee. "This puts the thing in an entirely new light. We must find out a little more about that second wife. You get what you can from Cecily, but do be careful how you question her. The child is sensitive, and was apparently very fond of the lady she called her mother. Try not to probe too deeply. And remember to explain to her that you are not asking just out of idle curiosity, which she'd be perfectly right in resenting." It was with no very pleasant anticipations that Marcia and Janet looked forward to their interview with Cecily next afternoon. How to approach the subject without giving her a clue to the real state of affairs, they were puzzled to know. Plan after plan they formed, only to reject after thinking them over. "Suppose Cecily should ask this," or "What if Cecily should inquire why we say that?" spoiled every outline of the conversation that they could imagine. At last Janet declared: "It's perfectly useless to think now what we'll say, or what she'll answer. Let's just wait till the time comes and say what seems best at the moment. The whole conversation may be entirely different from anything we plan." "I guess you're right," sighed Marcia. "I'm tired out thinking about it, anyhow." And so they put it all aside till Cecily's arrival. When she came, that afternoon, she found two very serious and thoughtful friends awaiting her. One thing at least, they had determined,--not to put off the dreaded interview till later in the day, but have it over at once and get it off their minds. So when they were all comfortably seated in Marcia's cozy room, Janet began: "Cecily, would you mind very much if we asked you a few questions? You remember, the other day, we said that something had come up concerning you, we thought, and we would tell you about it later. Well, we aren't quite ready to tell you _all_ about it yet, but it would help a great deal if you'd answer a few questions about yourself. Will you?" And she felt an immense sensation of relief, after these words were spoken, at having at least taken the first plunge. "Why, of course!" assented Cecily, wonderingly. "That is, if I possibly can." "And you'll remember that we aren't asking just out of curiosity, but because it may help to untangle your affairs?" interrupted Marcia, anxiously. Cecily only smiled and squeezed her hand, as if an answer to that were unnecessary. "Well, dear," said Janet, in a hesitating voice, "could you tell us whether you know this: was your father ever married twice?" Cecily started and flushed a little. "Oh, I--I don't know anything about such a thing!" she murmured. "I--I don't think so. You see, he died before I remember anything about him, and my mother never spoke of him to me very much." "Then she never told you anything about that?" went on Janet. "No," replied Cecily, very positively.