"Who told you he was a hypnotic subject?" Her hopes revived once more. Quickly she said: "Dr. Bernstein. Besides, Howard told me so himself. A friend of his at college used to make him cut all sorts of capers." "A friend at college, eh? Do you remember his name?" "Howard knows it." "Um!" ejaculated the lawyer. He took up a pad and wrote a memorandum on it. Then aloud he said: "I'd like to have a little talk with Dr. Bernstein. I think I'll ask him to come and see me. Let me see. His address is----" "342 Madison Avenue," she exclaimed eagerly. The lawyer jotted the address down, and then he looked up. "So you think I'm afraid of Mr. Jeffries, do you?" She smiled. "Oh, no, not really afraid," she answered, "but just--scared. I didn't mean----" Judge Brewster was enjoying the situation hugely. He had quite made up his mind what to do, but he liked to quiz this bold young woman who had not been afraid to show him where his duty lay. Striving to keep a serious face, he said: "Oh, yes, you did, and I want you to understand I'm not afraid of any man. As to allowing my personal interests to interfere with my duty----" Annie took alarm. She was really afraid she had offended him. "Oh, I didn't say that, did I?" she exclaimed timidly. Judge Brewster forced his face into a frown. "You said I knew on which side my bread was buttered!" "Did I?" she exclaimed in consternation. "You say a great many things, Mrs. Jeffries," said the lawyer solemnly. "Of course, I realize how deeply you feel, and I make excuses for you. But I'm not afraid. Please understand that----" He rapped the table with his eyeglasses as if he were very much offended indeed. "Of course not," she said apologetically. "If you were you wouldn't even see me--let alone talk to me--and--and----" Pointing to the piece of paper he held in his hand, she added: "And----" "And what?" demanded the judge, amused. Half hysterical, now laughing, now crying, she went on: "And--and take the names and addresses of witnesses for the defense--and--think out how you're going to defend Howard--and--and all that----" The lawyer looked at her and laughed. "So you think I'm going to help Howard?" he said. "You take too much for granted." "You're not afraid to help him," she said. "I know that--you just said so." Judge Brewster raised his fist and brought it down on the desk with a bang which raised in a cloud the accumulated dust of weeks. His face set and determined, he said: "You're quite right! I'm going to take your case!" Annie felt herself giving way. It was more than she could stand. For victory to be hers when only a moment before defeat seemed certain was too much for her nerves. All she could gasp was: "Oh, judge!" The lawyer adjusted his eyeglasses, blew his nose with suspicious energy, and took up a pen.