“Well, yes; one night a young man, Charles de Kergrist,—­a profligate, a gambler, crowning his scandalous life with the vilest and meanest act,—­did come and kill himself under my window.  The next day a great outcry arose against me.  Three days later the brother of that wretched madman, a M. Rene de Kergrist, came and held M. Elgin to account.  But do you know what came of these explanations?  Charles de Kergrist, it appears, killed himself after a supper, which he left in a state of drunkenness.  He committed suicide because he had lost his fortune at Homburg and at Baden; because he had exhausted his last resources; because his family, ashamed at his disgrace, refused to acknowledge him any longer.  And, if he chose my window for his self-murder, it was because he wanted to satisfy a petty grievance.  Looking upon me as an heiress, whose fortune would enable him to continue his extravagant life, he had courted me, and been refused by M. Elgin.  Finally, at the time when the catastrophe occurred, I was sixty miles away from here, in Tours, staying at the house of one of M. Elgin’s friends, M. Palmer, who deposed”—­

And, as Daniel looked at her with an air of utter bewilderment, she added,—­

“Perhaps you will ask me for proofs of what I state.  I have none to give you.  But I know a man who can give you what you want, and that man is M. de Kergrist’s brother; for, after those explanations, he has continued to be our friend, sir, one of our best friends.  And he was here to-night, and you have seen him; for he came and spoke to me while you were standing by me.  M. de Kergrist lives here in Paris; and M. Elgin will give you his address.”

She looked at Daniel with a glance in which pity and contempt were strangely mixed, and then added, in her proudest tone,—­

“And now, sir, since I have deigned to stand here like a criminal, do you sit in judgment on me.  Question me, and I will answer.  What else are you going to charge me with?”

A judge, however, ought to be calm; and Daniel was but too conscious of his deep excitement; he knew he could not even prevent his features from expressing his utter bewilderment.  He gave up all discussion therefore, and simply said,—­

“I believe you, Miss Brandon, I believe you.”

Miss Brandon’s beautiful eyes lighted up for a moment with joy; and in a tone of voice which sounded like the echo of her heart, she said,—­

“Oh, thank you, sir! now I am sure you will grant me Miss Henrietta’s friendship.”

Why did she mention that name?  It broke the charm which had overcome Daniel.  He saw how weak he had been, and was ashamed of himself.

He said sternly, thus proving his anger at himself, and the failure of his judgment,—­

“Permit me not to reply to that to-night.  I should like to consider.”

She looked at him half stupefied.

“What do you mean?” she said.  “Have I, or have I not, removed your doubts, your insulting suspicions?  Perhaps you wish to consult one of my enemies?”