They went into the parlor and found at the far end of it the quiet corner they needed, and two chairs. Miss Jessup took one and Blundel the other, which enabled him to present his broad back to all who entered. Almost before he was seated Miss Jessup had produced her neat note-book and a pencil. "Now," she said, "I am ready for anything; but I must say I don't see how I am favoring _you_." "You are going to favor me by saving me the trouble of contradicting a certain story every half-hour," he said. "Ah!" ejaculated Miss Jessup, her countenance falling a little; "it is not true?" "Not a word of it." Humane little creature as she was, as she glanced down at her note-book, Miss Jessup felt that some one had been a trifle defrauded. "And there was no scene?" "No." "And you did not threaten to expose her?" "No." "And you wish me to tell people that?" "Yes, as pointedly as possible, in as few words as possible, and without mentioning names if possible." "Oh, it would not be necessary to mention names; everybody would understand the slightest reference." "Well, when you have done that," said Blundel, "you have granted me my favor." "And you want it to be brief?" said Miss Jessup. "See here," said Blundel; "you are a woman. I want you to speak the truth for another woman as plainly, and--as delicately as a woman can. A man would say too much or too little; that is why I come to you." She touched her book with her pencil, and evidently warmed at once. "I always liked her," she said, with genuine good feeling, "and I could not help hoping that the story was not true, after all. As it was public property, it was my business to find out all about it if I could; but I couldn't help being sorry. I believe I _can_ say the right thing, and I will do my best. At any rate, it will be altogether different from the other versions." "There won't be any other versions if I can prevent it," returned Blundel. "I shall have some interviews with newspaper men to-night, which will accomplish that end, I hope." "Ah!" exclaimed Miss Jessup, "then mine will be the only statement." "I hope so," he answered. "It will be if I have any influence." "Oh, then," she said, "you have done me a favor, after all." "It won't balance the favor you will have done me," he replied, "if you do your best in this matter. You see, I know what your best is, and I depend on it." "Well," she said, "it is very kind of you to say so, and I will try to prove myself worth depending on, but"--And she scribbled a little in her note-book. "I don't mind telling you that the reason that is strongest in my mind is quite an unprofessional one. It is the one you spoke of just now. It is because I am a woman, too." "Then she is safe," he returned. "Nothing could make her safer. And I am grateful to you beforehand, and I hope you will let me say so."