"Don't forget his wife," remarked the judge dryly. "No," she replied. "I really feel sorry for the girl myself. Will you give her some money if I----" The lawyer shook his head. "She won't take it. I tried it. She wants me to defend her husband--I tried to bribe her to go to some other lawyer, but it wouldn't work." "Well, something ought to be done to stop her annoying us!" exclaimed Alicia indignantly. "Mr. Jeffries suffers terribly. I can hear him pacing up and down the library till three or four in the morning. Poor man, he suffers so keenly and he won't let any one sympathize with him. He won't let me mention his son's name. I feel we ought to do something. Try and persuade him to let me see this girl and--you are his friend as well as his legal adviser." Judge Brewster bowed. "Your husband is a very old friend, Mrs. Jeffries. I can't disregard his wishes entirely----" There was a knock at the door of the private office. "Come in," called the judge. The door opened and the head clerk entered, ushering in Howard Jeffries, Sr. The banker, still aristocratic and dignified, but looking tired and care-worn, advanced into the room and shook hands with the judge, who greeted him with a cordial smile. There was no response on the banker's face. Querulously he demanded: "Brewster, what's that woman doing out there again? It's not the first time I've met her in this office." Alicia looked up eagerly. "Is she out there now?" she cried. "What right has she to come here? What's her object?" went on the banker irritatedly. The lawyer shrugged his shoulders. "The same old thing," he replied. "She wants me to take her case." The banker frowned. "Didn't you tell her it was impossible?" "That makes no difference," laughed the judge. "She comes just the same. I've sent her away a dozen times. What am I to do if she insists on coming? We can't have her arrested. She doesn't break the furniture or beat the office boy. She simply sits and waits." "Have you told her that I object to her coming here?" demanded the banker haughtily. "I have," replied the judge calmly, "but she has overruled your objection." With a covert smile he added, "You know we can't use force." Mr. Jeffries shrugged his shoulders impatiently. "You can certainly use moral force," he said. "What do you mean by moral force?" demanded the lawyer. Mr. Jeffries threw up his hands as if utterly disgusted with the whole business. Almost angrily he answered: "Moral force is moral force. I mean persuasion, of course. Good God, why can't people understand these things as I do?" The judge said nothing, but turned to examine some papers on his desk. He hardly liked the inference that he could not see things as plainly as other people, but what was the use of getting irritated? He couldn't afford to quarrel with one of his best clients. Alicia looked at her husband anxiously. Laying her hand on his arm, she said soothingly: "Perhaps if I were to see her----"