Wilkinson chuckled inwardly. In an instant he turned to his daughter and whispered in a voice that could be heard all over the room: "Leslie, clearly this is no place for you. A Governor who turns his apartments into.... Come, dear!" And he made a hurried movement to go. But the Governor was too quick for him and blocked his path. His face had gone white with anger; he cried out: "What do you mean, sir?" Wilkinson sneered. "Do you want me to say it here?" "You've got to say it here," returned the other. Wilkinson waved his hand toward Miss Braine. "Then please explain her presence in your apartments,--your private, apartments, if you can!" "I will not!" responded Beekman, looking at everybody save Leslie. "I will not, because I cannot. Nor will she, because neither can she." "A complete misunderstanding all around," laughed Wilkinson. "Nevertheless, I prefer to take my daughter to her rooms." And again he made a movement to go. "You won't take your daughter to her rooms until you give me a good reason why you're here, and why you choose to make these remarks," said Beekman, belligerently. "I'll answer the last part of your question first because it's easier. I choose to make these remarks because you're Governor of the State of New York, and as a citizen of the State, I have a right to object to a woman of her reputation...." "A woman of my reputation, did you say?" said Madeline Braine quietly, and so marvellously well did she succeed in keeping her anger out of her voice that not for one moment did Wilkinson suspect the action that was to follow. In a trice she had seized him by the throat with the whole strength of her woman's hands and was pinning him up against the wall. "Peter Wilkinson," she cried, "I'll teach you not to speak ill of a woman!" But scarcely had these words fallen from her lips when she loosened her hands and threw herself into a chair, sobbing. With merely a glance at the woman who had assaulted him in this fashion, Wilkinson quickly hurried to his daughter's side, who seemed on the point of fainting. It was only a short time, however, before the woman had become calm, and Beekman, turning to Wilkinson, demanded: "What is the meaning of this? So you know Miss Braine?" Again the worst in Wilkinson's nature asserted itself; he answered the Governor's question with a question. "Do you know this woman's history, Governor Beekman?" The woman had gathered herself together and stood motionless with downcast eyes, silent, inert. In his turn the Governor ignored the man's question and demanded: "Miss Braine, do you know this man?" The woman hesitated, while her eyes slowly wandered across the room and rested on Leslie, standing with her hand in that of her father. A moment more and Madeline Braine had answered firmly: "No, except through this Ilingsworth case."