"Did no one pass out next day whom you had not admitted on the previous night?" "I did not notice any one particularly; I could not distinguish; so many come and go." The janitor seemed to think a little and hesitate. "Go on," said Ariston. "Of whom are you thinking?" "A veiled woman passed out that day and put a piece of money in my hand." "Over-astute Neaera!" thought I. "Did you not recognize the woman?" asked Ariston. "No, she was veiled." "Would you be surprised if I could guess at what hour she passed out?" The janitor looked at Ariston stupidly. "She passed out within an hour after Lydia." "Yes," nodded the janitor, "just about that." "Have you seen or talked with Masters's aunt since that day?" "No." Ariston then asked the magistrate to send for the messenger and Masters's aunt. The janitor was asked to wait in case he should be needed, and we adjourned for lunch. While lunching Ariston and I agreed that we were going to get at the facts, and that it would be better not to let the editor know them till after to-morrow morning. "I mean to give him rope," said Ariston. "He'll hang himself, I think." The messenger arrived shortly, and from him the identity of the veiled lady was very soon elicited. He had evidently received his piece of money also, and endeavored to avoid a direct admission, but Ariston got the fact out of him with but little difficulty, and his hesitation to admit it only brought out the more clearly the means Neaera had adopted to cover her tracks. Masters's aunt arrived a little later in a state of utmost trepidation. She came up to Ariston at once and implored him to tell her what the matter was; had she done anything wrong; she would tell anything that was wanted, but there were some things she could not tell; really, was Ariston going to ask her to tell things she really could not tell? But Ariston calmed her, and told her the magistrate was there to protect her. She bustled up to the magistrate, who stopped her by handing her the Bible, upon which she was told to take her oath. The judicial severity of the magistrate subdued her at once; she took the oath and sat down. Ariston whispered to the magistrate, begging him to conduct the examination, and pointing out that the object of it was to elicit what occurred at Masters's rooms and whether or not Chairo and Lydia had actually met there. The magistrate asked her a few leading questions, and as soon as the witness had recovered from the subduing effect of the magistrate's presence the floodgates were opened, and she poured forth the whole story, leaving a strong presumption that Lydia had not seen Chairo, and that Chairo had ignored the presence of Lydia. * * * * *