Turning suddenly in an opposite direction from that which he had at first taken, he found himself confronted by Harold Mainwaring and his party as they descended the court-house steps to the carriages in waiting.

Instantly the young men clasped hands, and the frank, blue eyes gazed into the piercing dark ones, with a friendliness of whose sincerity there could be no doubt.

“Egad, old fellow!” he exclaimed, in low tones, “I’m glad to see you, though you have taken us rather by surprise.  I’ll not take back a word of the promise I made you, nor of what I’ve said about you, either.”

“I did not think you would, Hugh,” Harold replied, grasping the proffered hand heartily; “I had a great deal of faith in you and in your word.  I only regretted that I could not explain matters at the time; it seemed like taking advantage of you and your friendship, though I warned you that the future might make some unexpected revelations.”

“Well, I don’t regret anything.  I always said you had good blood in you, don’t you know,” Hugh continued, with a boyish laugh, then added, a little huskily, “I’ll say this much, and I mean it.  I would rather give up what I supposed was mine to you than to anybody else that know of.”

“Thank you, Hugh; I appreciate that, I assure you.  Come around to the Waldorf, I would like to have a talk with you.”

“Indeed I will.  Of course, I suppose it would be of no use to ask you up to the house; I couldn’t expect you to come, but I’ll see you as soon as I can,” and with another handclasp the young men parted.

On arriving at the Waldorf, a note was handed to Harold Mainwaring, with the information that the bearer had been waiting nearly an hour, as there was an answer expected.  He well knew the writing; it was the same as that of the little missive given him on the first day of the inquest, and with darkening face he opened it and read the following lines: 

“I must see you at once, and I beg of you to come to my apartments this afternoon at five o’clock, without fail.  In the name of mercy, do not deny me this one favor.  I can tell you something important for you to know, of which you little dream. 
                                    “Eleanor Houghton Mainwaring.”

After brief consultation with his attorneys, an answer was sent to the effect that he would call in compliance with the request, and a little later he started upon his strange errand.

With what wildly conflicting emotions Mrs. LaGrange in her apartments awaited his coming may perhaps be more easily imagined than portrayed.  She had not recovered from the morning’s shock, but was nerving herself for the coming ordeal; preparing to make her final, desperate throw in the game of life.  Success now, in this last venture, would mean everything to her, while failure would leave her nothing, only blank despair.  Pride, the dominant passion of her life, struggled with a newly awakened love; doubt and dread and fear battled with hope, but even in the unequal contest, hope would not be vanquished.