"Madam," I cried, "can you think of no other motive than a desire for vengeance or gain? Have you never heard of such a thing as justice?" "And do you intend--" she whispered. "There will be an inquest held," I continued. "I shall be called as a witness, and so doubtless will you. Are you prepared to answer all and every question that will be put you?" "An inquest?" Her face was quite ghastly now. "And have you taken pains to publish abroad my connection with this girl?" "Not yet." "She is known, however, to be a grandchild of Mr. Pollard?" "No," said I. "What is known?" she inquired. "That she was Mr. Pollard's protege." "And you, you alone, hold the key to her real history?" "Yes," I assented, "I." She advanced upon me with all the venom of her evil nature sparkling in her eye. I met the glance unmoved. For a reason I will hereafter divulge, I no longer felt any fear of what either she or hers might do. "I alone know her history and what she owes to you," I repeated. She instantly fell back. Whether she understood me or not, she saw that her hold upon me was gone, that the cowardice she had been witness to was dead, and that she, not I, must plead for mercy. "Mr. Barrows," said she; "what is this girl to you that you should sacrifice the living to her memory?" "Mrs. Pollard," I returned with equal intensity, "shall I tell you? She is the victim of my pusillanimity. That is what she is to me, and that is what makes her memory more to me than the peace or good name of her seemingly respectable murderers." Was it the word I used or did some notion of the effect which a true remorse can have upon a conscientious soul, pierce her cold heart at last? I cannot tell; I only know that she crouched for an instant as if a blow had fallen upon her haughty head, then rising erect again--she was a proud woman still and would be to her death, whatever her fate or fortune--she gave me an indescribable look, and in smothered tones remarked: "Your sympathies are with the innocent. That is well; now come with me, I have another innocence to show you, and after you have seen it tell me whether innocence living or innocence dead has the most claim upon your pity and regard." And before I realized what she was doing, she had led me across the room to a window, from which she hastily pulled aside the curtain that hung across it.