Suddenly she stopped. The door had opened, and a girl stood framed in the doorway. But although the Governor paled perceptibly, he did not move. After a moment the woman removed her hand from his arm, quietly rose and stood facing the girl who had entered. "Governor Beekman," she said, now turning to him, her face still appealing in its pathos, her arms half stretched toward him, "I'm coming here every day, whether you will see me or not. I'm coming until you consent to see this man Ilingsworth and hear from him the truth. You must see him, you must hear his story from his lips," she concluded, holding out her hand. "I will say to you precisely what I told Mr. Higgins," he replied, taking her hand and bowing gravely over it. "I shall consider this matter fully and faithfully, and shall give Giles Ilingsworth the benefit of every reasonable doubt." When the woman had finally gone, Leslie came forward laughing, but with just enough nervousness showing in her laugh to startle Beekman, and remarked: "Take care, take care, Eliot, some of them will get you if you don't watch out!" By this time the Governor had thrown off the subtle influence of the woman, and smiling, too, he answered: "Let me tell you all about it, Leslie," and proceeded to do so, despite her protests that she didn't care to hear it. During his recital, however, she broke in with: "She's awfully attractive, Eliot, to say the least!" "To tell you the truth, Leslie," he laughed, "I'm not quite sure how far her influence upon me is going to go." "Surely you don't mean----" began Leslie, but Beekman joined in quickly, soberly, honestly saying: "Just this: that if she persists, it may result in my seeing Giles Ilingsworth." "Oh!" The interjection plainly showing her relief. But a moment more and she had recalled Colonel Morehead's warnings that under no circumstances was Beekman to be permitted to hear Ilingsworth's story from his own lips. Immediately, therefore, to Beekman's surprise, the reserve that had marked her manner dissolved, and she cried: "Eliot, don't see him! Please don't see him, Eliot!" "But why not?" he inquired, smiling. "Because I don't want you to," she told him. "Leslie! Surely you're not trying to pit your influence against hers? What?" he said, his smile changing to an expression of slight annoyance. "No, indeed," she replied. "It's something else." "Why, then?" "That's the trouble--I don't know. Only, he was, is still, my father's enemy. Oh, I have seen his fury--he meant murder--he did murder...." "It is because the case is a murder case," explained the Governor, "that it troubles me. It's the first murder case since my election, and really, I don't know--I can't promise anything now." * * * * *