before her. "I was a fool to think it was Mrs. Atherton."

"Victor Dupres, what do you mean? What do you know? Why are you
here?" and Edith's eyes flashed with insulted pride; but Victor
did not quail before them. Gazing steadily at her, he replied,
"You are engaged to your guardian, and you do not love him."

"Victor Dupres, _I_ DO!" and Edith struck her hand upon the table
with a force which made the glass lamp rattle.

"Granted you do," returned Victor, "but how do you love him? As a
brother, as a friend, as a father, if you will, but not as you
should love your husband; not as you could love Arthur St. Claire,
were he not bound by other ties,"

Across the table the blanched, frightened face of Edith looked,
and the eyes which never before had been so black, scanned Victor
keenly.

"What do you know of Arthur St. Claire's ties?" she asked at last,
every word a labored breath.

Victor made no answer, but hurrying from the room, returned with
the crumpled, soiled sheet of foolscap, which he placed before
her, asking if she ever saw it before.

Edith's mind had been sadly confused when Nina read to her the
SCRATCHING OUT, and she had forgotten it entirely, but it came
back to her now, and catching up the papers, she recognized
Richard's unmistakable hand-writing. He knew, then, of her love