"Paula," he said earnestly, "we must trust no one. They won't stop at anything, as you see. They even had me arrested on a ridiculous charge. I was trying to borrow money--to carry on this case--to engage ex-Senator Wratchett. Mr. Chase knew this, didn't he?" "Yes." "You see, he knows everything. I'm afraid he's a spy." The girl shook her head. She was too good a judge of human nature to be so easily deceived. "I can't believe it," she said quietly. "I don't believe it." "At all events," said the lawyer, "we dare not risk taking him into our confidence any more. Listen, I've raised the money, and I'm going to see Wratchett to-night." "Why did they arrest you?" "Because I overlooked the formality of having a certificate of shares endorsed over to me. As soon as I could get word to my friend, who loaned me the securities, he came down and the magistrate released me at once, but the stigma of arrest, of accusation, of prison, is there. That's what Cooley wants--to discredit me in court. Cooley knows that if he throws enough mud some of it is bound to stick." The young girl made a gesture of discouragement. Sinking down in a chair at the table, she said wearily: "Oh, I'm so tired of it all. Let's give it up, Mr. Ricaby. Let's go to my uncle and make the best bargain we can. I was hasty before. I'll be more patient this time." The lawyer shook his head. "Now that I have the sinews of war?" he cried. "No! We'll win out; you'll see. They must be pretty desperate when they resort to such tactics as false arrest. No, by God! I'm going to stick to them now." Paula walked to the window, and, drawing aside the curtain, gazed thoughtfully into the street below. "Isn't there some way out of it?" she demanded. "If, for instance, I married--my husband----" The lawyer started, choked back something that rose in his throat, and hesitatingly said: "No, you must obtain the consent of the Court or of your guardian. It would make new complications, application of annulment--oh, innumerable opportunities to harass you. No--I--I am opposed to the idea of marriage, Paula." "I hope you don't think that I have Mr. Parkes in mind?" she smiled. "Pshaw!" he exclaimed impatiently. "Do you suppose I pay any attention to that old woman's idle chatter? I don't know whom you have in your mind, but I have too much respect for your intelligence to imagine for a moment that it is Mr. Parkes." He stopped and looked wistfully at her. Did he dare reveal to this girl what had been so long in his heart? At last, summoning up courage, he said in a low, diffident tone: "If I could only think that it was I----" Startled, she looked at him in amazement. Impulsively, he went on: "There! I have spoken at last, Paula, after all these years. I didn't intend to say anything. This is no time to speak of such matters, but----"