“Your remarks,” said he, “are all based on a misconception. This man is no confederate of mine. I have no confederate. I--I work out my purpose--by myself.” “I'm sure I wish that I could believe this,” said Edith; “but unfortunately Mrs. Dunbar espouses his cause with so much warmth and enthusiasm that I am forced to conclude that this Leon Dudleigh must be a very highly valued or very valuable friend to both of you.” “In this case,” said Wiggins, “Mrs. Dunbar and I have different feelings.” Instead of feeling gratified at this disclaimer of any connection with Leon Dudleigh, Edith felt dissatisfied, and somewhat disconcerted. It seemed to her that Wiggins was trying to baffle her and throw her off the right track. She had hoped that by speaking out frankly her whole mind she might induce him to come to some agreement with her; but by his answers she saw that he was not in the least degree affected by her warnings, or her threats, or her offers. “This Leon Dudleigh,” said she, “has all along acted sufficiently like a confederate of yours to make me think that he is one.” “How?” “By coming into these grounds at all times; by having privileges equal in all respects to your own; by handing over those privileges to his spy and emissary--the one who took the name of Lieutenant Dudleigh. Surely all this is enough to make me think that he must be your confederate.” “You are altogether mistaken,” said Wiggins, quietly. “He told some idle story once,” said Edith, anxious to draw more out of Wiggins than these short answers, “about some power which he had over you. He asserted that you were afraid of him. He said that you dared not keep him out of the park. He said that his power over you arose from his knowledge of certain past crimes of yours.” “When he said that,” remarked Wiggins, “he said what was false.” “Why, then, did you allow him to come here?” “I did so for reasons that I do not feel at liberty to explain--just now. I will only say that the reasons were altogether different from those which he stated.” Of this Edith did not believe a word; yet she felt completely baffled, and did not know what to say to this man, who thus met all her assertions with denials, and spoke in the calm, lofty tone of conscious truth. But this, she thought, was only his “acting.” “I only hope that this is so,” said she; “but supposing that it is so, I should like very much to know what you feel disposed to do. The claim that this man asserts over me is utterly false. It is a mockery. If he is really not your confederate, you will see, I am sure, that it is not for your own interest to sustain him in his attempt to maintain his claim. I wish, therefore, to know exactly what it is that you feel willing to do.” “Your situation,” said Wiggins, “is a most unhappy one. I will do all that I can to prevent it from becoming more so. If this man annoys you, I will defend you against him, whatever it may cost.”